Meet the nurse who saved Christmas after opening her home to stranded grieving relative

The senior nurse set another place for dinner and opened her home to ensure she was safe and cared for in her time of need.

Now, Nicola, who is working with COVID-19 patients in intensive care at South Tyneside District Hospital, has been recognised in the latest round of South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust’s Excellence Reporting nominations.

Trust chief executive Ken Bremner has presented Nicola with a letter of thanks for her act of kindness towards 80-year-old Angela Robinson-Coverdale.

Great-grandmother Mrs Robinson-Coverdale had spent Christmas Eve with her brother-in-law, Alfie Coverdale, who was being cared for in the hospital’s Surgical Centre, and reluctantly left to head home to Cambridgeshire.

On arriving at Newcastle Central Station, the former nurse discovered she had missed her train and was unable to get home.

Distressed and anxious about her brother-in-law, she returned to the hospital and was with him when he died half an hour later.

Nicola, who has worked at the hospital for 19 years and usually works as ward manager of the Surgical Centre, said: “I wasn’t on duty but my colleagues contacted me because they knew I would want to be aware of the situation as I had built up a real rapport with Angela.

“I rang to speak to her and she was so sad as her brother-in-law had just died.

“I couldn’t bear to think of her all alone at Christmas and asked if she’d like to come to me and she said yes.

“It was a wonderful surprise to receive the Excellence Reporting letter; it absolutely made my day.

“It was particularly welcome at the moment when we are all working so hard in the pandemic.”

Mrs Robinson-Coverdale spent Christmas Day in East Boldon with Nicola and her husband, David, their children, Jacob, 15, and Isabelle, 12, David’s mother, Dorothy Peat, Nicola’s brother, Paul Campbell, and family friend Nick Varley.

Nicola said: “We all had a great time.

“She was such good company; she has so many stories to tell and she writes poetry.

“My own mother, who was also a nurse, died last September and Jacob said ‘You know, Mam, granny would have loved her.”

Mrs Robinson-Coverdale added: “I couldn’t fault the nursing Alfie received from Nicola and her team and not a day goes by when I don’t think of Nicola’s kindness, patience and tolerance.

“Compassion shines from her and she is a role model for any nurse. I was upset at the prospect of spending Christmas Day apart from my own family but it was fabulous spending it with Nicola and her family who enfolded me in their love at a time of grief.

“It was a different Christmas but one I shall never forget.

“My children will be eternally grateful for what she did for me.”

Mr Bremner said: “She is a credit to our Trust and to the nursing profession as a whole.”

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