This week has been a tough week. When lockdown first started, in 2020, as many people did, my wife and daughter volunteered in a local community support scheme. This one was to provide support to vulnerable people through things like doing their shopping or collecting prescriptiona. My wife was paired with a lady called Marjory. Marjory was 98 years old, lived on her own in a second floor flat - a nice flat - near us and my wife ended up going in most days of the week over the Covid period. Covid ended and Marjory had become part of my wifes life, and part of my life. Id be sent to Sainsburys on a Thursday night for her weekly shop. I used to know better what she needed each week than we would need. Elderflower bubbly was a firm favourite; tins of rice pudding; 

marjory became our friend. In March 2022, she celebrated her 100th birthday - tipsy on a glass of Prosecco - and in March this year , my wife organised a birthday party for her and 20people came to her flat for cake and tea and a glass of sherry! 

she had the occasional fall and spent a few nights in hospital over the time. We went on her lifeline emergency call list as her family life a long way away. I guess we have become like family. On Wednesday night , Thursday morning , a phone call came through at 1 am to say shed fallen. Our house is about 200 yards from her flat so i went down to see what had happened. 

shed been trying to turn her tv off at the wall to go to bed, and fell at 11. She hadnt triggered the lifeline as she was bent down . So shed spent two hours trying to get up and failing, but at 1 am had somehow got into a chair and pushed the button. I came around and she was in lots of pain, very lucid but hurt. I called the ambulance and they took her to hospital and I got back home and to bed at 4. My wife had stayed behind as she is an exam officer and needed to be in work at 8; I do a boring job as a management consultant and would be less missed! 

we were told shed dislocated her hip in the fall. serious in a lady of 101 years old. They couldnt put it back in as it would cause trauma and needed a general anaesthetic- her Heart was too fast and they needed to wait. Overnight last night she had two heart attacks but survived. her son and his wife had come up overnight and told us that the doctors cant give her the GA due to her heart so they cant put her hip back in. So effectively , now, there is nothing they can do. It will be palliative care now and Marjory will slip away sometime soon. 

from covid we got a precious thing into our lives - we got to meet a lady who is now 101 and became our friend. We always knew it wouldnt be long we would know her- at 101 it wouldnt be, would it? But she lit up our lives for a few years and for that we are proud and truly privileged. 

she may surprise us and pull through , but we dont expect it. And for a few days we will be very sad and also spend sometime making sure she is comfortable , and spending time with her son and his wife (they are 70!) celebrating her life.