Saturday 3rd February

The latest news:

Shirley is doing very well. As I write (noon on Saturday 3rd) Shirley is making excellent progress, though not quick enough for her. In the initial phase (1 or 2 days) she lost all sensation on her left hand side, including her sight and also affecting her appearance. This returned very quickly and during the past week she has been making steady progress regaining the use of her left side. She is now taking a few steps, and is improving in her balance, but she is not yet climbing stairs, which is what she needs to do in order to return home. There has been some talk of moving her to a rehabiliation unit at Bucknall Hospital or the Haywood, in order to give her a couple of days of intensive physio in order that she may be well established on her feet. The prognosis remains that she will make a full recovery, though probably not with the full strength on her left side. Every day has seen more progress - there have been no setbacks.

She has had an extraordinary number of visitors, not only from our (large) family, but also many priests, religious and even a bishop. A dispensation was also granted for her to receive a visit from Benedict XVI and Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (that is our cavilier king charles spaniels - not their less famous namesake). As she has never lost the power of speech, she has greatly enjoyed holding court all through. She has received about 120 cards (might be more), several emails, and very many beautiful flowers and some plants: we've had to bring many of the flowers home because her bedside had come to resemble a botanical garden. And most important of all, she has been assured of many many prayers, which are undboutedly seeing her through.

At present she has become a little fed up in the acute stroke ward at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire. The staff are wonderful, but most of the other patients are 20 to 40 years older than Shirley, and many have some form of dementia, so conversation - outside visiting times - is difficult. She is working through her BAAT coursebook on the Liturgy and enjoying it!

With a bit of luck she should be home early next week, which I have to confess will make life a lot easier for me. I don't think I'd ever realised how draining it can be to visit a close relative in the hospital every day.

We are very grateful for all your prayers - please keep on praying.


Fr Peter Weatherby