Honouring Gavin - Lydia’s Journey to Mental Health Nursing
Lydia’s journey into the field of mental health was influenced by her personal experiences and her brother Gavin’s struggles.
He was a patient on the Irwin Unit between 1995 and 1996, where he was diagnosed with psychosis at the young age of 15. During this period, Lydia frequently visited him at the Parkview site and the temporary Charles Burns/Holly-moor Site.
Sadly Gavin, the beloved brother of Lydia Stafford, our Senior Clinical Nurse Specialist and IROC/ Non-Violent Resistance Lead at Toucan (the West Midlands CAMHS Provider Collaborative) passed away peacefully at Warwick Hospital on 20 June 2024, aged 44.
Reflecting on her brother and her journey, Lydia said:: “My brother struggled with mental illness since he was a child.
“First-hand, I experienced the devastation to our family and very early on I gained strength from witnessing the impact that kind, compassionate, and connected CAMHS clinicians had on my brother.
“When I was deciding what to do with my life after my A-levels, all I knew was I wanted to be like a significant professional who changed my brother’s life for the better, and the rest, as they say,` is history.”
Lydia’s commitment to mental health nursing has spanned more tham 22 years and her work continues to honour Gavin’s legacy.
Her story is a testament to the impact that lived experience and compassionate care can have on individuals and their families. Her dedication to the field of mental health nursing is a powerful reminder of the difference one person can make, both personally and professionally.
Elaine Kirwan, Director of Nursing for Toucan, said: “At a time when we are dealing with ever-increasing NHS pressures, politics, acuity and complexity, something happens that makes us think, pause to reflect on our own sense of purpose working in the specialist field of mental health.
“This story from Lydia helped me have a moment to think about the importance of our patients and the day-to-day struggles they live with, how grateful we are to our mental health workforce, the importance of your role and the care that you carry out daily, to improve and impact the lives of the children and young people we look after.”
We are saddened by the loss of Gavin, but we celebrate his precious life. His legacy lives on through Lydia, whose work continues to positively impact many lives in her brother’s memory.
About Toucan (the West Midlands CAMHS Provider Collaborative):
Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is the Lead Provider of Toucan who work to ensure that sustainable, high-quality care for specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the region is offered. Provider collaboratives are partnerships that bring healthcare organisations together to benefit their populations.