A WIDOW has heaped praise on the staff at Poole Hospital after they helped her properly say goodbye to her husband.

Ronald Hind died in Poole Hospital on May 22, aged 97.

He was initially hospitalised after falling in the middle of the night at his home in Verwood, breaking his arm and hip which then brought on pneumonia.

Mr Hind was due to celebrate his 40th wedding anniversary with wife Jennifer on July 5 and had bought a ruby ring to give to her, which was being held at a jewellery company in Ringwood.

To make sure he could give his wife the ring before he died, Carrie Hartridge, a ward clerk on ward B3, a trauma ward, contacted the jewellers, drove to Ringwood to collect the ring, gave it to Mrs Hind and took a photo of them together.

He then died three hours later.

Mrs Hind said: “Poole Hospital have been fantastic, have gone beyond all sense of duty.

“I was gobsmacked, absolutely gobsmacked.

“To be honest with you, they must have known that his death was near to do such a thing.”

Mrs Hind said she offered the Ms Hartridge £10 for her petrol but she spent it on biscuits and chocolate for the rest of her team.

She continued: “It was a very emotional time, it touched my heart.

“To think she volunteered to do what she did before my husband passed away.”

Mr Hind spent three weeks in hospital, which was the first time he had ever been admitted.

He served in the Mortar Blitz in 1942 and his wife said he was very lucky to be alive.

She described him as gentle and said she wasn’t able to see him until the last few days, at which point he couldn’t recognise his wife.

“It all happened at the wrong time because of the virus,” she added.

“When it was near his passing away, they let me see him any time, day or night.

“I wish I could have seen him before but that’s happened with a lot of people.

“The story with (Ms Hartridge) really touched my heart. They’re so lovely there.”

Ms Hartridge added: “We all have a part to play at Poole Hospital regardless of our role in supporting our patients and their families.

“It was a real privilege to be able to help on this occasion and make a difficult situation slightly better for the Hind family.”