The relatives’ room on the Critical Care Unit became the centre of our world for 24 hours when my mum, Jane, was taken seriously ill with complications from Ulcerative Colitis. Following her admission to the Emergency Department, she was ventilated and transferred to the Critical Care Unit, and we were asked to wait in the relatives’ room. This room was very small, and had a tiny window, made worse with every hard conversation and every moment of realisation that the worst was going to happen. Mum’s condition was so serious that we were advised by the kind and caring staff to spend the night so we could be close, but there was only space for two of us to sleep on the small sofas, meaning that some of our family members needed to go home. Understandably, we didn’t get much rest, but my memories will forever include that room, and I wish it had been a more consoling environment to give us just a little more comfort during such a traumatic time. If there had been more space, other members of our family could have been there when she passed away early the next morning.”
Relatives’ story
