A District Nurse team leader and her family have raised more than £3,400 for a hospital which cared for her son after life-saving brain surgery.
Carla Hotten, who works at the Hockley Triage Integrated Services for Adults and Older People at Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT), took on a walking challenge last year to raise much needed funds for King George and Queen’s Hospitals Charity in Romford.
Carla, who lives in Rochford, and some of her family took part in the Thames Moonlight 10K walk in September. They also organised a charity quiz night in October.
Carla said: “I am very humbled as a District Nurse to recognise the amazing work of other external services and the care my son Jacob received at Queen’s Hospital in Romford was amazing.
“On Good Friday last year, Jacob, who worked on EPUT’s vaccination programme, was taken seriously unwell following a sinus infection, which caused an abscess in his frontal lobe.
“Very quickly he was transferred to Queen’s neuro intensive care unit, and he immediately underwent surgery to reduce the abscess.
“Unfortunately Jacob’s brain reacted and swelled to dangerous levels and he was placed in a medically induced coma. This was a critical situation and the surgeons were not anticipating a positive outcome.”
Jacob, 20, remained in a coma and had to have an urgent craniotomy on day five. He came round from the coma after nine days and spent five weeks in hospital.
Carla, whose mum and sisters also work for EPUT, said colleagues in the Hockley District Nursing team had given “amazing” support to the whole family.
She said: “Our colleagues supported us all through a very difficult time and were flexible in my work schedule to help me look after Jacob at home.
“We are really happy to have raised as much money as we did for the hospital and we are hoping to raise more in the future.”
Jacob is still receiving treatment and remains under the care of the King George and Queen’s hospital neurology team. However he has returned to Lincoln University to continue his studies in mechanical engineering
Carla along with her mum Julie Goodge, a Senior Health and Social Care Worker and sisters Michelle, a Matron and Becky, a Senior Nurse Lead, have together worked for EPUT for more than 60 years.
They spent the festive period working together at the Trust. They sacrificed time with loved ones to provide urgent, routine and end of life care for patients in their own homes across Hockley, Castle Point and Rochford.
Throughout their careers they have worked over the Christmas and New Year period every year.