Joanne Barrett interviewed Sharon Carley.
When you were given the form about the Willow Foundation how did you feel about this?
I was ‘chuffed' looking forward to it.
How did you decide what you wanted to do? had you got anything in mind before you were asked ?.
No but a trip on the Orient Express was one of the suggested excursions and I had always fancied going on a ‘posh train' and thought it would be nice. I decided I wanted to go on the Orient Express to London.
Was it easy to apply?
The form was easy to fill in, you are asked to write down what you would like to do and who you would like to take with you and why and put down your circumstances and then the CF nurses will do the rest.
How quickly did it happen from applying to going on the trip?
I left Heartlands Hospital on the 29th October (I filled in the application form during my admission) and we went on the 18th November. It is a very quick process but I think it depends on what you asked for. When we were on the train, people were saying that they had been waiting months for tickets but we got on within a month. The Willow Foundation arranges everything and all you need to do is just step out of your front door. They will pick you up from your house if you like.
Can you talk me through your day ................
I decided to take my sister and my best friend, as I don't normally have girlie days out with my sister as she is always working and I couldn't leave my best friend out because we go everywhere with together. I had new clothes and dressed up especially for it. I was excited as I don't go on many trips.
The Willow Foundation sent a cheque for £75 to get a taxi to the station and have a drink if there was change. We got on at Birmingham International Railway Station and this took us straight to Victoria station in London.
We were met at the Victoria Station by a steward from the Willow Foundation and they guided us to the train. They had a special seat for the three of us which was laid out lovely very posh. We were on the train for 10 minutes before it left. Then waiters came round and asked us what we would they like to drink - it was ‘very nice'. I was on IV's at the time so she didn't have a soft drink. The others had champagne and wine and there was also orange juice. Then they came round with a light brunch. We ate ‘eggs on toast' with a side bit of smoked salmon. Then we were offered a cheese tasting. Waiters came round with a big basket of cheese, every cheese you could name and then came round with another basket of every type of bread so we had that as well, then a pudding, and plenty more drinks through the journey. I drank lots of coffee and orange juice. . It was even nice to go to the toilet on the train, the bathroom was beautiful.
We arrived back at Victoria station and there was a coach ready to pick us up. We were escorted from the train to the coach, there was a name tag on the seat saying Sharon Carley and friends. The we were taken to Harrods for shopping! We were left for about 6 hours, so we had lots of time to have a leisurely browse around. Harrods was amazing but you needed plenty of money. Went round all of the sweet section, it was beautiful. The Christmas section, I could have lived there - all the Christmas trees, Christmas baubles and tinsel were ‘out of this world'.
Then we had something to eat and coffee in one the Harrods cafes which was nice. Next we looked around the jewellery section - £43,000 for a little gadget for your charm bracelet! Diamond encrusted amazing! Then we went on to the furniture section. There was a beautiful bathroom mirror with pink diamonds round it costing £48,000. It would have looked lovely in my bathroom!
Did you buy anything for yourselves in Harrods?
I bought aftershave for my boyfriend, a bottle of perfume for myself, my mom some Christmas tree baubles went and for some friends little jars of sweets.
After that we were taken back to the station by coach and then we were escorted back onto the train again for an evening meal which was lovely. I had Roast Chicken, my sister had roast chicken as well and my friend was very adventurous and had wild boar! which she said was lovely. We had soup to start with followed by jelly and ice cream which looked fantastic as it was moulded into a fancy shape. We could have had what ever we wanted to drink, any bottle of wine. I don't really drink and was on IV's but my sister had brandy and apricot, my friend had lager, she got quite tipsy.
It was a lovely day and we met some lovely people on the train and we were waited on hand and foot, it was really good, brilliant. They even gave us some Orient Express souvenir chocolates to take home.
What would you say to other patients who might be thinking of applying for a Willow Foundation grant?
I would advise you to go through with it. They make you feel like a queen. It was good and I had a lovely day. I don't get treated like that even when I go out for dinner, the waiters ponder over you, they are there with the bottles, filling your drinks, bringing coffee - it was a really nice treat and something to look forward to. It was a great day to remember; shame I was on her IV's and couldn't get drunk. Given the opportunity I would have been on the brandy!!
