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Campaigner sets fundraising goal to send nurses on sign-language courses

Rosemary Mitchell, right, with her mother Elaine.
Rosemary Mitchell, right, with her mother Elaine.

An Aberdeenshire woman is preparing for a poignant fundraising run on Mother’s Day to help cancer sufferers.

Ellon resident, Rosemary Mitchell’s mum, Elaine, died last year after a protracted battle against the disease.

But her plight was exacerbated, due to her being deaf and blind, which led to difficulties in communicating with nurses.

Miss Mitchell would regularly have to translate care instructions from medical staff, because her father George, who lives in Elgin, is also deaf.

However, the 27-year-old is determined to ensure no other family has to suffer similar travails in the future.

The campaigner is fundraising to send a team of Marie Curie nurses from Moray on a sign language course, so they can communicate accurately with patients.

Miss Mitchell said: “Marie Curie were very good to my mum, I couldn’t fault them, but through no fault of their own, they have never been offered a sign language course.

“It wasn’t possible for them to plan the care if they couldn’t communicate with her. We found they would always need a member of the family to translate properly.

“Some of the language is specialist too. It’s not the sort of thing that would come up every day.”

The Marie Curie team in Moray has told Miss Mitchell they are willing to learn sign language, but confirmed there aren’t any courses available at the moment.

The campaigner has set a target of £2,000 so that as many of the local staff will benefit from training immediately as possible before the service is rolled out across the country.

Charity Deaf Action is also exploring the potential of running an awareness course for nurses to communicate complex medical language.

During Mrs Mitchell’s treatment, it was often the case that, while support from Marie Curie was available, it was not always possible to get the support of an interpreter.

Miss Mitchell added: “The nurses were amazing. They would come overnight at 3am or 4am.

“There is an alarm system and they just come out whenever they are needed. It is really excellent.

“However, there isn’t that kind of system for an interpreter. You can’t get one of them out at any time of night whenever something happens.

“That’s why I think it would be really good if the nurses could sign. It would mean they could easily communicate when they arrive without relying on someone else being there.”

The Ellon resident will be lining up for the Run Garioch challenge in Inverurie to raise money for Marie Curie. She has been training hard for the race that is likely to push her outside of her comfort-zone.

Miss Mitchell added: “10K may not seem like much, but to me, it is definitely a challenge. I’ve never been the most athletic person, but I have found that going out running every week has given me something to focus on.”

Donations can be made online at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Mariecuriemoray