Amanda Tormey, left, and Mel Pugh, within the specifically designed vests.
Amanda Tormey and her good friend and colleague Mel Pugh work at Severn Hospice in Telford.
They each look after and assist folks dwelling with incurable sickness – Amanda is a inventive therapist and Mel is a healthcare assistant.
As effectively doing as their demanding jobs, the pair have additionally created an revolutionary vest for the administering of medicine, and it’s now set for European distribution.
Earlier than lockdown, Amanda was approached by one of many hospice’s medical doctors who defined to her {that a} affected person was having problem carrying the moveable syringe drivers which have been used for her drug infusion.
She requested Amanda if she may design one thing in order that the sufferers may carry the weighty drivers and make them extra comfy to make use of.
That night Amanda created the vest at residence.
“The subsequent morning, I visited the affected person,” stated Amanda.
“Mel was her nursing assistant and informed me all concerning the issues she had been having with the syringe pump driver. They have been each excited to see the vest I had designed – which we referred to as the AmanD vest: an amalgamation of my identify and the identify of the affected person.”
However the pandemic meant that manufacturing of the vest was halted, and it has taken an extra two years to be prepared for distribution.
“We’re so enthusiastic about this,” stated Mel. “This actually will make such a distinction to everybody who makes use of a syringe pump driver or different medical gadgets.
“To know that Amanda’s design goes for use in hospices within the UK, and additional afield, is such a thrill, and to have been a part of that course of too makes me really feel enormously proud.
“It has been fairly a journey to have gone from that preliminary dialog once we talked about the issue the affected person was having to seeing the vest that can be purchased, however it’s one which I’m so happy to have made. I actually assume Amanda has performed one thing unbelievable.”
In the intervening time, sufferers carry their syringe pump drivers in cotton shoulder baggage, however this may be uncomfortable due to the burden and bulkiness of the machines. Now the AmanD vest provides the affected person elevated freedom, hides drug supply strains, and distributes the burden of the drivers throughout the physique.
And since the drivers are held in inside pockets, the danger of daylight degrading the medicines held within the syringes is sort of eradicated.
Becky Richardson, director of care at Severn Hospice, stated: “The vest that Amanda designed in collaboration with Mel is fantastic. They’ll make the administering of remedy to sufferers utilizing syringe pump drivers much more comfy and can enhance their high quality of life whereas sustaining their dignity.
“Our employees right here at Severn Hospice care for thus many individuals in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales and I’m proud that Amanda and Mel’s vests will probably be serving to folks with incurable sickness all around the nation.”
