If you were given one final wish, what would you wish for? Would you wish to visit a specific place important to you? Perhaps wish to talk to someone very dear to you? For the 70-year-old Peter Robson of Elswick, Newcastle, United Kingdom, it was an easy question — he wanted to see his pet dog, Shep, one last time.
Peter was dying because of lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Due to his condition, staff at the Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, Scotland, asked his family if he had any last wish to make him at least comfortable.
Peter’s last wish was for him to see his dog for the last time. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible for his wish to be granted because bringing pets of any kind is strictly prohibited by the hospital due to possible issues with infection that may occur. Peter’s family knew right then that the dying man’s last wish would not be granted.
However, Peter’s nurses went out of their way to make Pete’s final wish come true. Just 20 minutes after Peter’s family told the staff about his last wish, they received the go-ahead they did not expect to come: they can now bring Shep to the hospital.
Peter was very happy to meet Shep again, and it is evident that Shep feels the same way. Just hours after the two were united, Peter passed away.
Ashley Stevens, Peter’s granddaughter, said that Shep has been with Peter for eight years now. Peter got the pet dog after his wife died.
In an interview with BBC Scotland, Ashley said, “He really thought he would never see Shep again. It was an amazing moment to see the two of them together, and Shep was so excited to see him”.
The grandpa loved his pet so much. According to one of Peter’s sisters, Elizabeth Hankin, the last time she spoke to Peter, he said: “I’m going to get out, I’m going to take Shep to the park.”
The efforts of the nurses in charge did not go unnoticed, Ashley posted on Facebook about her entire family’s gratefulness for the nurses; most especially to Cheryl Whyte, the charge nurse of Ward 3, where Peter was in.
On her post, Ashley said, “Still in shock that the wish was granted and they went above and beyond today and made a dying man very happy. ”
As it turns out, the nurses behind bringing Peter’s final wish to reality were naturally compassionate. As per BBC, the team has already been hailed as ‘the first ever Gold Outstanding Team winners in the STAR Awards last year’.
The chief executive for NHS Tayside, Lesley McLay, said: “The ward 3 team has done a wonderful thing for this family. It is often the little things that mean the most to patients and their families and I’m so pleased that the staff were able to grant this wish.”
Most people find it hard to wear a smile if they’re going through something particularly difficult. But the nurses in ward 3 made sure that Peter would feel genuine happiness, especially on the last hours of his life.