Fundraising
5th June 2023
Rosemary, a former Senior Health Advisor at Shine, stepped into retirement ten years ago, however her unwavering dedication to assisting and empowering individuals with hydrocephalus remains strong.
Rosemary says: “I attend Mr Richard Ashpole’s Adult Hydrocephalus Clinic in Nottingham. This is a clinic that I helped Mr A set up about 17 years ago. When I told him that I was retiring from Shine, he asked me if I would stay on with him. The reason for starting this clinic was due to the increasing number of patients with hydrocephalus, including NPH and IIH, that were being referred to Richard. He felt that a specialised clinic was more satisfactory for both them and the medical staff, and because specialist clinics are the way things are going these days.
My role alongside signing people up to Shine, is to basically support Mr Ashpole. This can involve helping patients and their relatives understand their diagnosis, treatment, and the implications of having hydrocephalus. As the average age is around 80, they sometimes need time to take everything in. In some cases, the relatives are more anxious than the patients, especially around how much care their family member will need.
I am also there to answer questions from old and new patients that are not strictly medical. For example, advice on diverse subjects such as travel, vaccination, and colouring hair etc. Some are anxious about damaging their shunts when playing with grandchildren, and I’ve been asked about sky diving, scuba diving, motocross and running a half marathon. Not what I expected from octogenarians!"
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