From receiving care – to supporting those who provide it
Lexi Sandham, Executive Assistant to Joanne Bosanquet and FoNS Office Administrator
Ikigai is a Japanese concept referring to a motivating force, that gives a person a sense of purpose and brings fulfilment. The idea is that you find the thing that combines what you love, what the world needs, what you are good at and what you can be paid for. You bring together passion, mission, profession and vocation, and you create your best life. Even though I am not a healthcare professional in any way, it is nurses that helped me find my Ikigai.
For anyone who looks at my CV, a position in a charity that supports nurses and midwives is most definitely an outlier. My background is in engineering and quality assurance, but a little over a year ago I knew I needed to be doing something different.
I am someone who has experienced the absolute best that the NHS can provide. I have a lifelong chronic condition called Cystic Fibrosis, which has meant that I have been under the care of specialists since an exceptionally young age. As well as my own health challenges, I have cared for two loved ones at the end of their lives, supported by the community teams and hospitals.
I considered my CF team in Leeds a second family. When I was an inpatient, I knew many of the healthcare assistants, nurses, doctors, psychologists, physios, dieticians, pharmacists, cleaners, food service assistants, and many more by name. I was staying on the same ward regularly, and each month would catch up about holidays, weddings, children, and other adventures in each other’s lives. When I was at my worst, they were the people who looked after my body and my mind. As a child I was supported by hospital teachers and play nurses. I will never forget Tracey, my favourite play nurse, and her never-ending patience and genuine joy for the work she did. I grew up with so many incredible people as role models in this space, and there have been various occasions that I have written to those who left impactful impressions on my life to thank them.
Not every individual has a chance to build those bonds with those they meet. Not every person will have the opportunity to thank those who made a difference in those tough moments. I have had many conversations with nurses in particular about the fact it can be a thankless job.
Caring for those who are dealing with health issues, no matter the severity or variation, takes a special kind of person. While the country came together during the pandemic as we realised the importance of ‘key workers’ in the NHS, now that the initial situation has calmed, it has fallen out of mind. But the people who provide that key work, that care, that needed connection in the middle of uncertainty when a person is at their most vulnerable, they haven’t gone anywhere.
A few years ago, I was unable to work due to my health. But with medical advancements and the support of incredible people in all areas of healthcare, I had got myself to a place where I was back to full time hours, but with a renewed sense of purpose. I was filled with a need to somehow say a bigger thank you than simply writing a letter or joining in the pandemic applause on a Thursday evening.
I would never be able to repay each person who cared for me personally, but I could take my love of organisation, admin skills and a determination to pass on something positive to those who shaped me – and find a way to make a difference. So, this Yorkshire lass decided to take herself off to London and here I am, working with the amazing people at FoNS to improve care and supporting those who provide it.
It is through the support, kindness and love of those who work in our NHS and other health care and medical services that I am here, and in a healthy and privileged enough position to be writing this guest newsletter. I am beyond delighted to be able to do my small part, and, of course, to have found my Ikigai.
A little further reading:
The Cystic Fibrosis Trust announced on 15 July that the NHS have confirmed an extension to eligibility for the genetic modulator that quite literally saved my life, and it makes me so proud and so excited to know that there will be others soon who will understand what it means to live and not simply exist.
Read the Cystic Fibrosis Trust news article
Personalised health is something that the England NHS 10 Year Plan also made a point to focus on. Genome sequencing is so important (page 119), as by understanding the specific mutations related to conditions, diagnosis can happen earlier, and treatment options become clearer and more effective.
I took part in a focus group relating to the 10 Year Plan, and now knowing that our government is going to be tailoring care in this way makes me so hopeful, not only for my fellow Cystic Fibrosis friends, but for anyone who has a condition that can be treated in such a tailored way. In addition, the commitment to deliver the National Action Plan on AMR (page 127) is fantastic news. It allows for so much potential for individuals to thrive rather than survive, and I cannot wait to see where it takes us.