A friendly feline who has been offering a calming presence and cuddles to patients at a Northumberland hospital has been recognised with a commendation from the PDSA.
Thirteen-year-old ginger fur ball Yang has been greeting patients at Hexham Hospital and making himself available for a "cuddle and a chat" for around four years. He was originally nominated for the PDSA Order of Merit, the animal equivalent of an OBE by Alison Galilian, from Haydon Bridge, who regularly found herself comforted by his presence at the hospital after her mother's death from pancreatic cancer.
And following her nomination, Alison was inundated with messages from others who have found comfort in Yang when visiting the hospital. Despite that, Yang didn't get the 'top' award, which has never been awarded to a cat, but instead got a PDSA Commendation, which "aims to celebrate the unparalleled devotion and enrichment that animals bring to our lives."
Read more: Hexham General Hospital mascot nominated for equivalent of animal OBE
Owner Glynis Bell was informed Yang had been given the commendation on September 10, though she kept the news a secret until it was announced by the Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust on its social media channels on Wednesday October 4. Glynis, who lives just ten minutes from the hospital and describes Yang as a 'wanderer', felt that announcing the big news just two days after the death of Queen Elizabeth "wouldn't have been very appropriate at the time."
Nevertheless, she is bursting with pride that the honour has been bestowed on her adorable moggy, saying: "I'm extremely proud, people look at him and say he's just a cat, but he's not just a cat. And this award proves that, it's about just how much he means to everybody."
"As soon as people knew and started seeing it from the NHS, everybody was getting in touch and asking what's going on, I got loads of messages. It's gone nuts, so I just put it out there and everyone's so pleased for Yang!"
Though Yang missed out on the PDSA Order of Merit, Glynis feels that the commendation is better suited, due to him being cherished by the local community. She continued: "I think the commendation towards the community is the correct award for him.
"Because that's what he does, he's there for the community. I think getting the top award would have been nice but at the end of the day, the commendation is just as good for him.
"And I think people are just as happy to know he's being recognised. And it would never have happened about Alison who nominated him!"
Stay-at-home mum Alison said she was thrilled at Yang's award, and that she had "every confidence in him winning". She said: "I think with so much negativity going on around us at the moment, it's so lovely to have a heart-warming story and Yang has fulfilled that.
"He makes so many people's lives much better when they come to the hospital so I'm thrilled he's been officially recognised. I wasn't sure whether he'd get the OBE but I knew he would be recognised in some way because he's one in a million, there aren't many cats who spend their day at a hospital welcoming people through the doors in various states of despair or worry!"
Rebecca Buckingham of the PDSA said: "We are delighted to have been able to honour the exceptional work that Yang has carried out in support of his local community, offering a ray of sunshine in the darkest of hours for many people. Yang has provided much-needed comfort to patients, visitors, and employees at Hexham General Hospital almost every day for five years and his efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic were greatly appreciated by those he met.
"Yang is a very deserving winner of his PDSA Commendation and joins an illustrious list of animals whose remarkable actions have undoubtedly saved or enriched the lives of their companions as well as the wider community."
Northumbria NHS Trust also congratulated Yang on Twitter, saying: "Congratulations to our unofficial mascot Yang, who is now the recipient of a PDSA Commendation for supporting the community! We love the purrfect meet and greet service he offers at our #Hexham site!"
Expanding on the tweet, a Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: "Yang the cat has been a regular visitor to Hexham General Hospital for some time now and we know he brings joy to many patients, visitors and members of staff. This commendation shows that the positive impact he has on the community is well recognised."
Have you ever met Yang when visiting Hexham Hospital? Let us know!
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