We're delighted to share this beautiful poem from Jenny Rimmer, the runner up to our 100 Hearts Poetry Competition

Thank you

Monitors beep
You sleep

Tube feeds
Lonely teas

Days blur
You stir

I cry
You try

Feel trapped
Wires wrapped

Can’t cuddle
All muddled

Nurse comes
Helps tonnes

Friendly hug
Hot mug

Get stronger 
Wait longer 

We hope
You cope

Rose ward
We applaud 

Saved Jack
He’s back

World class care 
Always there 

Thank you. 

Jenny on why she entered... 

I'm not sure what was worse being told my child had meningitis or heart failure. Rock and a hard place. Both happened to me within the first eight weeks of Jack's short life. It wasn't a tv drama or an article in the paper. It was very real and very much happening, to ME. I was petrified.  

Unprepared and unknowing I was about to swap my morning routine of dropping my older kids off at school with taking a lift in a busy surgical heart hospital in Zone one to Level Four, Rose Ward to visit my very poorly son. I was a bunny trapped in the headlights I was utterly shaken and confused.  

It's taken me a while to catch up and process it all and perhaps I will always be a little shocked - something very simple can trigger easily the memories. I’ve written this poem as a reflection, a thank you and a joy! We’ve moved on, Jack lives a busy toddler life at home with his family. Under the care of Royal Brompton, we enjoy all the loveliest things life has to offer. Forever grateful! 

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Thank you to everyone who entered our poetry competition and congratulations to the winner, Rachel Gerrard whose poem will be published in the 100 Hearts programme, available to purchase on the night.