A series of bright seascape paintings presented to Hereford Dialysis Centre will provide not only a breath of fresh air for patients, but a poignant reminder of one young man and his love of the coast.
John Plested from Hereford lost his battle against illness last year at the age of 32, and his parents, Ros and Stuart decided to give something back to the centre where their son regularly attended for dialysis.
They have spent money donated in John’s memory towards something close to his heart – scenes of seaside towns and villages in North Wales and Devon which he loved.
Clinic manager Nicky Shaw expressed delight at receiving the work by painter Janet Bell from Beaumaris, on the isle of Anglesey in memory of John, who she remembers as a “real character”.
She felt the scenes were bright and cheerful and had a “feelgood factor”.
Ros, a retired headteacher, explained that the five pictures reflected her son’s personality.
“He loved the sea, and he loved fishing,” she said. “The painting of Slapton in South Devon is a reminder of a favourite holiday place for the family, where John spent many hours, and he caught his first fish there.
“These are such cheerful paintings, and John loved the sea and wanted to live by the sea,” she said. John received dialysis treatment three times a week at Hereford, each session taking at least four hours.
“He was on the machines here for almost five years,” Ros explained. “It’s a difficult way to live, especially if you’re young.”
Patients travel to the centre on the Tillington road at Hereford from all over the county and beyond, and from areas over the Welsh border.
For those who depend on dialysis, planning holidays can pose difficulties.
“We had to plan holidays well in advance, it’s a real problem for dialysis patients,” she added.“You have to live on these machines if you have renal failure.”
She praises staff at the centre in Hereford. “The nurses were very good, and they pulled John’s leg.”
She continues: “He lived in Hereford and he actually achieved his independent living, which is what he wanted.”
