Care Home Hits the Back of the Net in Making Dream Come True for Football Fan
A care home resident from Haywards Heath fulfilled a long-held dream of returning to the Amex Stadium to see his beloved Brighton & Hove Albion thrash their rivals – and meet a team legend – thanks to staff at the home.
Andrew Sanders, a resident at Aria Care’s Walstead Place, was in attendance to see BHA beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 6-0 on Saturday, 29th April after months of ill-health prevented him from going to a match.
Following the game, Andrew was also introduced to former BHA striker turned pundit, Glenn Murray, who was happy to pose for photographs.
The 75-year-old has been a life-long supporter of BHA and was a devoted season ticket holder before his health took a turn for the worse.
He was accompanied to the match by Ruud Oosterbaan, a wellbeing coordinator at Walstead Place, who organised the visit.
Andrew’s wife, Moray, was touched by the gesture as she had been trying to find a way to get him to a game for some time. She said: “We were so grateful to the team at Walstead Place who made all this possible for Andrew. Football has always been one of his great pleasures.
“Ruud suggested it might be possible for Andrew to attend with his help. The chef at Walstead Place even organised a sandwich and hot supper for him to take. The fact that Ruud organised for Andrew to meet Glenn Murray and got a photo of them together was the cherry on the cake.”
Jacquie Ferguson, home manager at Walstead Place, said: “Making sure our residents are happy and able to do the things they love is so fundamental to the care we offer.
“Ruud was instrumental in making this happen and once we ascertained it was safe enough for Andrew to attend, we made the arrangements. It meant a lot to Andrew and his family, which was touching to see.”
The team at Walstead Place prides itself on providing personalised care and creating meaningful experiences for the people they care for. Every part of daily life is carefully planned and independence is promoted.
