Carer braves the shave for local ITU unit

Home news

Jan 20, 2021

A local carer has raised over £1,000 for Colchester Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit by shaving her head.

Lorraine Stenton, from Care UK’s Silversprings, was inspired to begin fundraising after seeing the life-saving treatment provided by the hospital to Care UK colleague, Omar Taylor.

Omar, who has been dubbed ‘miraculous’ by medical professionals across the globe, is the youngest reported patient in the world to have suffered a stroke due to coronavirus, and spent six weeks in hospital following his admission.

In awe of the ITU team’s incredible work, which saved Omar’s life and subsequently enabled him to make a full recovery, Lorraine decided to ‘brave the shave’ in order to raise money for the Colchester Hospital ward.

Lorraine said: “When I heard about Omar’s recovery and the round-the-clock care and support, he had received, I knew that I wanted to do something to say thank you to everyone at Colchester Hospital.

“Shaving all of my hair off was a big decision, but saying goodbye to my hair was an easy decision when I realised I could raise vital funds for such a deserving cause. I can’t say I wasn’t scared, but it was definitely worth it – I’m thrilled to have raised over £1,000!”

Joanne Rix, Home Manager at Silversprings, added: “We are so proud of Lorraine for ‘braving the shave’ and raising such a fantastic amount of money for the ITU unit at Colchester Hospital.

“I know that I speak on behalf of everyone at Care UK in expressing my gratitude to the entire ITU team for providing everyone, including Omar, with the very best treatment and care year-round, and this was the perfect opportunity for everyone at Silversprings to be able to say thank you.”

Omar, who has now returned to his role as Regional Director for the care home provider, commented: “I’m incredibly thankful to both the NHS and my colleagues for all of their hard work, kindness and support throughout this year. When I found out how much money Lorraine had raised on my behalf, I was truly moved. This donation will make a huge difference to the ITU team, who provide invaluable care to so many local people.”

Silversprings is a modern care home which provides full-time residential and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the care home has a choice of lounges and dining rooms, along with facilities such as an activity room and hair salon.

For more information on Silversprings, please call Customer Relations Manager, Lisa O’Sullivan, on 01206 809173, or email lisa.osullivan@careuk.com  

For more general information, please visit careuk.com/Silversprings