‘That’s my girl’
Brightside Mail Centre postman Kevin Godfrey (pictured) and his wife Pamela couldn’t be prouder of their daughter, Robyn – a frontline NHS nurse, currently saving lives in the fight against covid-19.
Robyn is one of the many third-year student nurses from Sheffield Hallam University, working at Bassetlaw Hospital as an intensive treatment unit (ITU) nurse.
Back in 2017, Robyn received a POOBI (Post Office Orphans Benevolent Institution) grant towards her nursing degree costs. In Kevin’s own words, this is Robyn’s story.
‘I started working for Royal Mail in 2004 when work and life seemed to fit hand in hand perfectly,’ said Kevin. ‘Every family has its ups and downs and in 2016, it proved to be the case for us. My wife had to stop working due to ill health and I was forced to cut my hours to just two days a week, so that I could take care of my family. I had the complete backing from Royal Mail, as both sets of our parents were deceased leaving us with no support system in place.
‘2017 was soon upon us and that year Robyn was accepted at Sheffield Hallam University to train for a degree in nursing. Although we were very proud of her news, it couldn’t have arrived at a worse time as most of our savings had been absorbed due to my cut in hours.
‘It was during this time that I read about POOBI - an organisation established through Royal Mail to help support colleagues, who have a child about to embark on higher education. It was called a “Rising Star” scheme. I forwarded my application, aware that it would probably be overpopulated and was astonished when a letter arrived congratulating me on my success. They had awarded us £4,500 over the coming three years of Robyn’s training with an additional £350 for her first term to help her acquire all the necessary study books she needed.
‘Two years passed quickly, and Robyn flourished in her training. We were all so proud of her commitment. During December 2018, Robyn joined Royal Mail through the Friends and Family scheme and worked night shifts for five weeks during the Christmas Peak to earn some extra money.
‘In Robyn’s second year, she enrolled for NHSP - an organisation that supplies temporary trainee students to the NHS. These shifts were entirely voluntary, but they gave her a chance to learn the job first-hand from experienced nurses, while supporting them with their patients’ everyday care. This experience was to become priceless in the events to follow.
‘When the catastrophe that is covid-19 arrived, Robyn, alongside thousands of other third-year nursing students, was approached to join the NHS on the frontline to help boost the numbers fighting the pandemic. When the virus arrived at Bassetlaw Hospital, where she had already attained a full-time permanent job as a theatre nurse due to start on the condition that she graduated in November, I was terrified for her. Our daughter is just 21 with her whole life ahead of her.
‘I wouldn’t have been disappointed if she had chosen the safer option to stay at home, especially with the death count of doctors and nurses around the country rising steadily every day. Nevertheless, she has carried on working relentlessly, not allowing herself to be consumed with fear for her own safety.
‘I can remember asking Robyn if she was scared on her first official starting day. She immediately replied without hesitation, saying: “Of course I am, but it’s vital that the patients don’t sense it. Wearing a smile on your face is a powerful thing Dad. It has a way of reassuring the patients and their families that there’s a chance they can survive. I think it’s the best medicine by far!”
‘Fighting tears of admiration, I took a deep breath, plastered a smile on my face and replied: “That’s my girl!” I have faith that Robyn will fight her way through this terrible ordeal and that this experience could be the making of her in her career choice as a nurse. In years to follow, when all of this is history and her own family are questioning her about her life choices, she’ll have an amazing story to tell them full of hope and inspiration that we can achieve the unachievable if we all work together.
‘Thank you, Royal Mail for the vital support we received from you and for making Robyn's essential journey possible in aiding the NHS in its quest to save lives.’
