Is there someone you want to say thank you to?

I have to agree on balance about midwives, and not thanking, - 1 in my 3 was very good.
The last was not there, almost caused a disaster to the baby, left me on my side so I was forced to deliver from that position and have trouble now with my bowel, did not know my history or blood group although that was the reason I was in their Hospital, and of course, it all happened in a side room on a bed, not in a delivery room because she didn't bother to answer the bell.
That was 1983, in Kent. Around that time the Department and Consultant were in trouble for not behaving professionally. It had nothing to do with my delivery, but the place was horrendous as I found again when I had to go back for a repair.
It is my hope that our generation, who were treated so cruelly in childbirth, grew up to try and reform Midwifery and that might be why it is so brilliant (mostly) today.

I have two 'thank you's, one to the man who found my 11 year old son when he had got lost and got on the wrong train home from school and gone 20 miles away. No mobiles, and I was frantic with worry. DS had the presence of mind to go into the only shop open, a newsagents, and explained his plight. A customer there said he was heading our way, and rang me from the shop phone to say if I was happy, he would bring him home. I had no car, my husband was on a late shift, so I gratefully agreed. I reckoned if he was a child abuser he would not have rung me first, and I was desperate. Sure enough an hour later DS was dropped safely at my door, and the man shot off.

The other occasion was when another son stopped breathing at 11 months old. I realised he was very ill as he kept losing consciousness and coming round again, so a neighbour drove me to the local A and E. He had a respiratory arrest as we drove into the car park. Running down the corridors with a lifeless baby, I couldn't see a sign for A and E and was crying and praying, when a nurse going off duty saw us. She grabbed my son and ran with him into the resuscitation room. I was taken to reception to give his details, and five minutes later I heard him cry from next door, she had got him back! We then had a blue light ambulance trip to the next hospital which had a children's ward, she came with us, keeping an oxygen mask on his face and keeping him awake. In the rush up to the ward I am afraid I forgot to say goodbye and thanks. But I did go back some years later, after DS had had numerous investigations and come through them all, and took him to see if we could find her. We did, she remembered him, said she had been shaking in her boots when she grabbed him, and was so delighted to find out he was OK.

John Bacon, Policeman, Kent, November 1991.

He told me my husband was dead. He had to catch me as I went numb from the waist down.

He was incredibly kind. I wish I had thanked him properly and all the Police who looked after me, phoning me and at the Inquest. They were my lifeline.

Some years later I found a friend dead and in a terrible state. It was suicide. I never thanked the wonderful Policeman who brought me home and the CID man who kept in touch and helped me through the Inquest. What amazing people they are, they have to go to such awful scenes. I wish so much I had thanked them.

My parents (now dead) for life and a matchless, magical childhood.

I want to thank my lovely children for what they are, the wonderful surgeon who sorted out my spinal problems recently and gave me back an active life, and GN for giving me an outlet to talk about current events.

My thanks are for a very, very dear friend of nearly 50 years who taught me the meaning of friendship, who has patiently listened to my ups and downs and has always been a voice of support and wisdom. I feel very blessed to have such a friend.

I wish I could thank my dear auntie, who was always there for me. I loved her dearly but now that she has gone, I wish I had told her so more often.

I couldn't imagine thanking my midwives either bluebelle! I had my first at home and she told me if I didn't stop that noise, she would have me carted off to hospital! When she left the room, my sister whispered to ignore her - saying if I wanted to yell, just yell! My second was induced in hospital and I was left alone to get on with it. The contractions came very hard and fast. When a nurse came in to check I reached for her hand and she just shook it off, leaving the room without a word. When I yelled out that I was pushing, two midwives insisted I got off the bed and on to the delivery table - I'll never forget the agony I was in. They chatted to each other constantly but barely said a word to me. That was late sixties too - how things have changed!

A couple of years ago I was just walking back to my car after delivering a letter, when I tripped over a sticking-up kerb and fell flat in the road. I put my hand out to save myself and knew at once that I had had broken my wrist. I had done some damage to my already-fragile knees as well. there was a lady just about to drive off in her car - it was a cul-de-sac, luckily, so hardly any traffic - who rushed over immediately and looked after me. She wouldn't let me get up in case I had done some serious damage. Like magic, other people appeared from the houses around with glasses of water and blankets and someone phoned the ambulance and my husband. Everyone stayed with me until the ambulance came. The paramedics were wonderful as well, so gentle and kind. I wasn't able to thank anyone properly as I was whisked off to A&E in the ambulance, but I did have a letter printed in the local paper afterwards to say thank you. I had, in fact, broken both the big bones in my wrist, but they have healed perfectly.

I had a serious car accident when i was 20. Several people came to help but one young man told me he was a medical student and he gave me a lot of reassurance. He came to the hospital with me and disappeared when i was taken into theatre. I always wanted to thank him as he was so kind. He was the one who phoned my parents to tell them of the accident. Bless him. I hope he's doing well as a doctor.

My story isn’t as grand as others on here,but I still think about this persons kindness to this day.
My two small children and I were travelling back on a bus from a day out. It was a boiling hot day and we had drunk all that we had from the picnic bag and the kids were extremely thirsty.
In front of us, sat a lady who heard my kids moaning and she opened her cool bag and gave us an ice cold tin of lemonade.
That gesture meant everything to me.
This happened over 20 years ago and I have never forgotten her kindness (or the taste of that lemonade!).
?

I wish I could have thanked my maternal grandparents for taking us in when Dad was looking for work and we had no other home. Till I was six, their home was our home. They were kindness itself, as were my great aunt and uncle who, having no family of their own, treated us as their own. Wonderful people, all now passed away of course. I was never able to appreciate them so much as now, with the perspective of the years. They gave me a secure and loving start in life. I thank them with tears in my eyes.

25 years ago I was out in town with my mother and three children my mother had a heart attack in the street and passed away. A wonderful lady appeared and took my children in her car to the hospital allowing me to travel in the ambulance with my mother it was a traumatic day for me and sadly I was never able to trace this lady but I have always been so grateful for her help that day

I would like to thank the police liaison officers who looked after us when our son was murdered. They took us to London to our d office so we could tell her that she had lost her beloved brother. Nothing was too much for them to do for us there support and kindness and talking us through things and listening to us talking and our grief they were amazing. Even ringing us later in the evening and weekends.

Again, thank you to all here who helped and supported me last November , I know I would not have been here now if you hadn’t been so caring, supportive and understanding . You were there again when I had to part with Phoebe and Lottie had cancer, if you hadn’t given me the advice you did I wouldn’t have let Lottie have the op , I did and she is fine.

And you were there again when the agoraphobia struck.

Just no one tell me there is no such thing as Angels, they are here . Thank you x

I would like to say an enormous "thank you" to some GN members who made such a difference when Mr P and I were really up against it.

You know who you are, but you will never know how much your kindness meant to us both

What a nice post, similar to the item on r4 Saturday morning when people write in to say Thank you for a kindness. Richard Coles.
I remember 50 years ago being taken back to an older german couples flat in Aachen and put up for the night when we couldn’t get to friends late on a Saturday night, but I did thank them and kept in touch for many years.
There was a post recently about curtseying, well in those days german children (well girls anyway) curtseyed and in they trooped, didn’t bat an eyelid that their grandparents had a scruffy young English couple in their flat and all gave a deep curtesy. I Felt a bit like the queen.

It was, Eloethan. I couldn't believe it was really happening at the time, kept thinking it'll be alright in a minute-- it was only afterwards that I realised how close I had come to a disaster.

That sounds really frightening kathsue.

I'd like to thank the two gentlemen who saved me from drowning in Cornwall a few years ago. I was with my GS (aged5) and our puppy at a caravan site. We'd walked out to the end of the breakwater at a very low tide. On the way back the tide was coming in and when it was up to my knees I started to worry a bit so I sent GS and puppy on ahead because they were more agile than me. I should have told him to get help but I didn't think at the time.

The water got deeper, I couldn't see the bottom and I ended up on my knees unable to get up. Eventually two couples appeared on the beach and I managed to attract their attention. The two men waded in and helped me out while one of the wives went to the office and they called an ambulance. It was very brave of them because they didn't know how deep the water was.

My rescuers went off as soon as they got me to the reception and I never got their names. No-one knew who they were so I didn't get the chance to thank them properly.

Thank you! I am feeling really uplifted to read your posts and your gratitude to people who have helped you. I have another thought - among many - of someone I'd like to thank. When we had two young children we went to America to visit family and to have a holiday. We arrived at a small airport where we had booked to travel further on a bus - but by the time we had collected our bags and emerged at the bus terminal our bus had gone. It was late in the day, we were all tired, and the beds we had planned to sleep in were far away. A bus driver heard us explaining our problem to the person behind the desk - and he told us not to worry. He was able to communicate with the driver of the bus we had missed - he arranged to take us on his bus (which initially followed the route we should have been on) to a lay by, where 'our' bus driver would wait and pick us up. Wow! Total strangers doing such kindness to a family they had never met and would never meet again.

I say a big thank you to Mr Lyndsey my final year at junior school teacher - for my love of languages and classical music.
My Mum who I think of every day and loved so much.
To the hospital staff who are looking after my dear daughter at the moment.
And to gransnetters who when you cannot talk to anyone else are always here with so much wisdom, kind words and virtual love ?????

fiorentina I have a similar story to yours.

When we lived up north, we were driving to my parents in Suffolk for Christmas when our car broke down near Chesterfield.

I think we asked a gentleman walking by where the nearest phone box was so that we could ring the AA (no mobile phones then). He said his car was just up the road, we could go home with him and phone the AA from his house.

He and his family were so welcoming. It transpired that his wife had just come out of hospital after a serious brain operation. So as not to intrude and after phoning the AA, we said we'd return to our car to wait. They wouldn't hear of it and got us all a drink and some biscuits and didn't make us feel at all uncomfortable even though it was some time before the AA came and relayed us to Suffolk (relaying us to several different places, taking many hours as it turned out, but that's a different story).

I'll never forget how kind this family had been to two adults and two young children who were perfect strangers to them.

And I wish I could have thanked a very kind teacher, Mrs Castle, who was such a great help to me in junior school.

The nursing sister who cared for my son for six long months, and then came in at 5am on an off duty day to take my son from me because I couldn't give him up to anyone else.
A thank you also to whoever made the decision to call her, and ask.

Pam Masini.... if you are out there....yes, I do mean you. I could not thank you properly, but have never forgotten what you did for me on that night.

Thank you for this thread. I have needed to say that for 40 years!

My husband, who has put up with my many problems for more than 50 years. My sisters, who are my counsellors and support (I hope I am the same for them). The NHS for saving my DH's life. The hair clinic who gave me new hair when I lost mine and gave me my life back.

My Grandmother for her amazing strength and support.
(Her soft voice is still in my head)