The hospital where she worked is benefiting from the efforts of a nurse who is fighting terminal bowel cancer.
Middlesbrough native Michelle Milson was diagnosed in February 2021, not long after earning her nursing degree.
She was given a new position as a practice development nurse by the hospital after being unable to continue her nursing career, a position she feels "makes a difference to others.".
I needed to find a new challenge, according to Mrs. Milson, 44. ".
"Whenever you find yourself in a situation like this, you should always try to assist others.
"I never anticipated this at my age, but I'm a positive person, and I think that if you make your dreams and look for them, they can come true.
I and my family find great satisfaction in that.
I always wanted to be a nurse. I believe it's a skill I was born with, and even though I can't treat my patients clinically any longer, I can still help because I still see them. ".
At Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital, she has already contributed to the creation of an end-of-life room, and she is currently working on plans for a memory garden for the courtyard.
According to Mrs. Milson's ward manager, Amanda Parry, the new room will mean "so much for families needing comfort and support." Mrs. Milson "put her heart and soul into the project.".
Mrs. Milson was a "true inspiration and so loved," according to Millie Smith, a coworker of hers. She is assisting in planning fundraising activities to pay for the memorial garden.
"The garden will have a massive impact," Ms. Smith continued, "we want to make her dream come true and make a positive impact for her.".
Mrs. Milson claimed that because her diagnosis came at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, she had spent a lot of time "alone in the hospital" coming to terms with it.
Before learning the cancer had spread to her liver, she initially believed she could be treated surgically.
"On some days, I could sit and cry all day long, but I always have the thought that I'll wake up the next day to the same circumstances.
"I just need to gather myself because so many people are struggling, and I want to show them and my kids that there's hope even if you don't live as long as you thought you might," she said.
To leave a lasting legacy and improve the lives of others, one must seize life by the horns and declare, "Look, while I'm here, I will do the best I can to make things better for others.
"Even though I don't feel well, I feel loved and cared for, and that's the legacy I want to leave behind when I pass away so that a small part of me will live on in the hospital. ".
