A man from County Durham has thanked those who cared for his twin sister who sadly died at the age of just 55 - by taking on a huge challenge in her memory.
Steve Thomas lost his twin sister Jayne after she was admitted to hospital with acute renal failure. Jayne, who had learning difficulties, was moved into a care home in Birmingham after getting "substandard" care in her previous home.
But sadly, Jayne was in and out of hospital until her death on April 2 and only spent around 17 days in Cole Bank Road care home in Birmingham. Despite her minimal time at the home, Steve said the care his sister received was "absolutely fantastic" and wants to thank those who cared for her.
And so, Steven is walking 170 miles, which is the distance from his home in Shadforth, County Durham to his sister's hospital bed in Birmingham, in just eight days, which is the amount of time he spent with her before she died. Explaining why he wanted to take on the challenge, Steve said the carers went above and beyond for Jayne
He explained: "Unfortunately, we couldn't secure a care home up here that could meet her needs as she has complex physical and mental health needs. We did find a care home in Birmingham but she was taken into hospital. She recovered from that admission and was back for about ten days before she was readmitted into hospital and that proved to be her last admission.
"In those short 17 days, the care home was absolutely fantastic. I worked in the NHS for 37 years and I have seen some excellent care as well as some not-so-good care but the care provided to myself and Jayne was excellent.
"Over the period of time she was there, I really felt like they knew Jayne. The manager would be working until 11.30pm some nights to sort things out for us and the carers would visit the hospital even when they weren't on duty.
"I just felt like they needed some recognition for all that they have done for us. Thank you just didn't seem like enough, Jayne had the best care possible. I wanted to do something that will leave a legacy for Jayne whilst also doing something that the care home and residents will benefit from.
"I'm not the most athletic but I can put one foot in front of the other and I thought it would be a good way to honour Jayne as she used to love to go for walks."
Paying tribute to his sister, Steve said Jayne was a "real character" and never let anything stop her. He said: "She was a real character. She loved the beach and we used to go on family holidays to Devon and Cornwall and trying to get her out of the sea was almost impossible!
"Jayne loved music and she loved to sing and dance and just be in the centre of attention. She used to swim and would go horse riding, she never let anything stop her. She loved her family, my parents gave absolutely everything for her.
"We had an amazing bond. There were days when I could just tell she was having a bad day when I wasn't even near her. We all just miss her so much.
"Everybody loved Jayne, people were just drawn to her. She is missed so much already, I miss her singing even though it wasn't usually in pitch! But I will remember all the good times like the trips and family picnics we had."
Steve will be walking 170 miles and all money raised will be donated to Cole Bank Road care home. If you would like to donate, you can do so here.
