Birthday on ward was a real treat

I nearly always read Letters to the Editor, so I thought I'd write my own.

I recently was in West Park Rehabilitation Hospital after a fall in which I broke my hip. I had to have a replacement put in.

While I was in there I had my 89th birthday and I must tell you what happened on the day. At 9am the activities nurse came to wish me "happy birthday" and brought a card and a box of chocolates. Later I had three phone calls – one from my son in Mexico, one from my grandson in Canada and one from my grand-daughter in America.

In the afternoon my three nieces came with flowers, presents and cards and a fresh cream eclair for every patient

in the ward to celebrate my birthday.

As soon as the visitors had left, the nurses wheeled in a trolley with a lovely iced cake on it with a candle and the words "Happy Birthday, Nesta" written on it. They lifted the cake for me to blow out the candle then they stood around me to sing Happy Birthday. At teatime everyone had a slice of the cake – in the other wards, too, as it was quite large – and many people shouted "happy birthday" to me.

What a lovely birthday I'd had, one of the best for a long time.

While I was in hospital, there was an old lady in a bed across from me. She had the same name as a very well known film star who I read had been divorced three or four times. Her husband visited her every day and it was so plain to see how much they loved each other. I couldn't help but notice the things he did for her and how they held hands. He hugged her a few times.

I'm quite sure that film star's husbands never loved her as much as this man loved his wife. I shed a few tears because it was so lovely to see an old couple like this, especially these days when there are so many divorces.

I would like to thank the doctors, nurses, rehab nurses and everyone for all they did for me during my stay at West Park Hospital. God bless you all.

Mrs Nesta Jones, Wednesfield, Wolverhampton.