A generous Walsall couple with the help of family and friends have made a donation to help patients who are receiving dialysis treatment.
Tim and Karen Dhesi have donated 22 Samsung tablets to the Renal unit at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust in memory of a special family member.
The couple made the donation in memory of Tim’s grandma, Swaran Khera, who died aged 73 last year from kidney failure.
Tim explained that when his grandma died the whole family was solemn and that his wife tried to do something positive. Karen decided to set up a GoFundMe page and raise some money so they could say thank you to New Cross Hospital for the care and support received.
Retailer Tim said: “My grandma had dialysis since I can remember. She started it in her late twenties. Twenty years ago, my mum donated her kidney to my grandma. This kidney is supposed to have a lifetime of up to around 15 to 16 years and it lasted a bit longer than that before she had to return to getting dialysis.
“The dialysis process was a big part of our life. I remember sitting there from when I was a child for three to four hours while she was getting it.”
He added: “When we decided what we were going to do with the money raised, we knew we had to get something that would help patients.
“We thought to ourselves how dialysis can be quite long and arduous and I remember when some of the TVs never used to work on the unit so there wasn’t much to do in those hours.
“Luckily for my grandma she had a big family so she could always call someone and they would always be around to keep her company. However, not everyone is so lucky and may have to go through this on their own – especially if they are older which is why we bought 22 tablets for patients to use while they are having treatment.
“We went to Currys and bought heavy duty holders too as well as a gift card and chocolates for the staff on the ward.”
When asked what the staff on the unit’s reaction was, Tim and Karen said: “They were really happy, some were even crying. It was a really heart-warming experience.”
When describing his grandma, Tim said: “She was a lovely grandma. She was always prim and proper. She always made sure her earrings were in and her make-up done. She cared about everyone despite what she was going through. The best word I can use to describe her is soldier; she really was a soldier through it all.”
Leanne Bood, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Charity Development Manager, said: “Thank you so much to Tim and Karen for this generous donation. The tablets will really help provide a welcome distraction for our patients. We are incredibly grateful.”