A Staffordshire woman who credits NHS staff with saving her life has raised money for UHNM Charity by opening her garden to the public.
Dorothy Hurst welcomed visitors to her home as part of her annual open garden event, raising funds to support the hospitals that cared for her and her family.
Dorothy decided to support UHNM Charity following a series of life-changing events.
She said: “In 2019 I had a massive heart attack. The paramedics saved my life. They had to restart my heart ten times and it was a young paramedic who was training who wanted to try one more time. Without that, I wouldn’t be here.”
The same year brought further heartbreak for Dorothy and her family.
“A few weeks later my brother was diagnosed with cancer and he passed away five months later. Around the same time my sister-in-law was diagnosed with cancer and she only lived for another four weeks. Then my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He had radiotherapy and thankfully he’s doing well now.”
Inspired by her gratitude towards the NHS, Dorothy decided to use her love of gardening to give something back.
She said: “I’ve always liked my garden and I thought I’d open it for charity.”
What began as a small front garden has grown into a unique attraction featuring themed areas inspired by Dorothy’s travels across Bali, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, including a handmade Thai temple created with help from her son and daughter-in-law.
Dorothy said: “I just enjoy gardening and I like other people to enjoy it as well.”
The event has become a popular fixture, raising thousands of pounds for charity over the years.
“We’ve been doing it for a few years now and the response has been really good. We always raise quite a bit of money for both charities. I said this was going to be my last one, but I’m undecided now.”
For Dorothy, the motivation has always been simple.
“The reason I did it for them is because they saved my life. It’s just my way of saying thank you.”
Every donation to UHNM Charity helps provide equipment, projects and services that go beyond NHS funding, improving care and the experience of patients and their families across University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust.
