Gloria Aldridge's Interview Summary
Gloria was born in 1960. Her mother was Dorothy Jell who was a District Nurse in the 70’s. Dorothy met Dr. Marjorie Reid who was a local GP. Dorothy was concerned that the growing city of Milton Keynes did not have a hospice and so visited some existing hospices in London and attended some courses on `End of Life’. She started fundraising to build a local hospice. This was embraced by the community and several different fundraising events started happening. As Gloria’s father was a Minister he also had a passion for a hospice to be built. The family started viewing properties and a rundown farmhouse at Willen with views of the lake was the favourite.
Sadly Dorothy passed away in 1978 and so Gloria’s father decided to continue with the work his wife had started. He went on to become the first Chairperson and first senior manager of the hospice. Gloria started her own career as an auxiliary nurse specialising in mental health, later becoming a `twilight’ nurse working with the dying, following in her mother’s footsteps. Her own daughter also works in a hospice in Sussex.
Gloria feels that Willen thinks about the whole family, not just the patient and in lockdown were able to make safe arrangements so that family could be with their loved ones.
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