For more than 26 years, Maura Stevenson, a Sister in the Department of Critical Care at DRI, has dedicated herself to caring for patients across the Trust.
Reflecting on her nursing journey, she said: “I first started on Ward B5 at Bassetlaw Hospital in 2000 as a Healthcare Assistant. In 2008, after qualifying as a Nurse through the University of Derby, I joined the Department of Critical Care at Doncaster Royal Infirmary and have been there ever since.”
Before beginning her nursing career, Maura experienced the devastating loss of two children. In 1995 her daughter, Danica, passed away at just 24 hours old and, three years later, her son Sam sadly died at five days old, both at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.
She said: “It was an incredibly difficult time for me, but the support I received from the nursing teams who cared for me was invaluable and ultimately inspired me to consider a career in nursing.
“When I had my babies, I couldn’t spend much time with them, as there was no such thing as a cold cot. So often I’ve wished I’d had a little longer to hold them, talk to them, and share those moments with family members who didn’t have the chance to meet them.”
Cold cots allow bereaved families to spend more time with their babies following loss, helping create precious memories during incredibly difficult circumstances.
Over the years, Maura has taken on a number of fundraising challenges, including a 20-mile walk in Bakewell for Breast Cancer Now and a walk from Sheffield to Doncaster for Firefly, a charity which provides free transport for cancer patients travelling to and from appointments.
Explaining why she chose Snowdon for her latest challenge, Maura said: “I wanted to do something a little different from walking. I thought, what could be better than climbing Snowdon at night to watch the beautiful Welsh sunrise?
“The reason I have chosen to raise funds for DBTH Charity is simply because I love my job and the people I work with. The Trust has supported me so much over the years.
“There is no greater pain than losing a child. Helping families have the time they need with their babies is so important to me.
“I just want to show my gratitude to everyone who has helped me and give something back in memory of my little ones.”
In 2002, Maura gave birth to her son Billy at Bassetlaw Hospital. Born with several serious health issues, Billy received specialist support from the paediatric team.
Today, Billy is a healthy 23-year-old – something Maura credits to the care and dedication of the teams who supported him.
She added: “Thank you will never be enough.”
Maura has set an initial fundraising target of £750 and hopes to raise enough to purchase a cot before winter, with a cold cot costing around £1,500.
To support Maura’s fundraising for DBTH Charity, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/maura-stevenson?utm_medium=CF&utm_source=CL
About DBTH Charity:
Doncaster & Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals’ Charity is the official charity which supports Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals Trust to go above and beyond by providing additional equipment, services and amenities for our patients, visitors and staff which cannot be funded by the NHS alone.
These additional extras would not be possible without the support of our community. With your help, we can continue to work with our Trust to fund innovative and exciting projects that make a difference to our patients, their families and our colleagues who care for them.
Visit the charity website to find out more: https://dbthcharity.co.uk/