Joyce at Kingfisher Nursing Home has her final wish granted
Joyce King, resident at Kingfisher Nursing Home in Cheshunt, has had her final wish granted which was to have her body donated for research.
An initiative that sees residents across Westgate Healthcare having their wishes granted as part of the resident’s wellbeing scheme, has granted a wish that meant a resident who wanted their body to be used for research has had this wish come true.
Born in Leyton where Joyce lived with her mother and sister, Joyce moved to Kingfisher Nursing Home in 2015 where she enjoyed sharing her life stories with her fellow residents and the staff at the home. With a passion for books, cats, flowers and David Attenborough, Joyce had lived a vibrant life surrounded by all of her favourite things. Joyce's kindness and generosity remained her main priority up until the time came of her passing.
Mary Auyeh, Home Manager at Kingfisher Nursing Home, said:
“Having spent 4 years with Joyce at Kingfisher I have to say that knowing her gave us all an insight into what a remarkable lady she was. During Joyce’s early days at Kingfisher she told us that she wanted to donate her body for research. We contacted Joyce’s solicitors who helped us to formalise the consent form and application with the London Anatomy Office, and along with her care plan we made sure everyone was aware of Joyce’s wishes. After regular meetings with Joyce, her GP and our staff we made sure that this remained to be her wish once she'd passed away.
“After Joyce passed away it was extremely important that myself and the team at Kingfisher Nursing Home informed The London Anatomy Office. There are strict guidelines and procedures that we had to follow in order for Joyce’s body to be accepted for research. After a couple of weeks we were notified that Joyce’s body had successfully been used for studies and research – this is exactly what she wanted.”
As Joyce was unable to have an official funeral, Kingfisher Nursing Home held a wake for family and friends to come together to show their respects and share their memories of Joyce. This occasion was attended by all staff at the nursing home, as well as residents and their relatives to celebrate the remarkable Joyce King.
