Published at 11:28, Wednesday, 19 October 2011

Carol Ritson counts the rest of her life in terms of weeks. Hospitalised for months, 100 miles away in Newcastle, the 59-year-old grandmother has one dying wish – she wants to come home to Cumbria.

But bed shortages at the West Cumberland Hospital in her home town of Whitehaven have made it impossible for her wish to be granted. That’s a hard blow for Carol.

She has suffered more distressing setbacks in her history of an illness which has so severely incapacitated her.

In spite of complaining for two years of headaches and feeling unwell, it was just eight weeks ago that was she admitted to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary for emergency surgery on a four-inch brain tumour. Now she knows the end of her life is close.

Carol does though have an especially precious gift. She has a loving, supportive family and a son whose absolute devotion knows no limits.

Simon Ritson is living in a caravan in South Shields so he can be near his dying mum, be with her daily and fight for her move back to Cumbria to be with her loved ones and in familiar surroundings at the end.

He is understandably angry at a system unable to meet with compassion his mum’s heartbreaking needs.

And there perhaps are the signs of frustrations many more of us will face, as we grapple with needs to streamline our NHS services and capabilities.

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk