A great grandmother, aged 99 years old, was taken aback when she received a letter from a hospital reminding her of a scheduled antenatal appointment as part of her pregnancy care. The woman, who is named Doris Ayling, will be turning 100 this November and could not believe she received such a letter from a hospital she barely even knew.
Doris has three children (all of whom are pensioners), seven grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. She is a former school cook from Bognor Regis, West Sussex, and with her upcoming centennial life celebration, there is no way she is expecting a baby. In fact, she hasn't been pregnant for 70 years, she exclaims. She became pregnant when she was 20, 23 and 29, and for her, that is enough.
"I was a bit amused by it all," Doris told the Bognor Regis Observer. "I've never been to the Portsmouth hospitals and I don't know where the Fareham hospital is. It's a complete mystery to me how I got this letter."
The letter from the hospital in Hampshire indicated the correct name, address and date of birth of Doris, hence, she why was all the more baffled. The supposed appointment was scheduled on Sept. 4, 2015. The letter also asked her to inform the hospital if she cannot come for the appointment for whatever reason.
Doris eventually called Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust to clarify the details of the letter, but she was simply told that it was a mistake. One of Doris' children, Brian, also called the hospital and was given the same statement. According to him, not a single person could identify the circumstances that led to the mistake. Nonetheless, he said that his mom had her fill of enjoyment and that it was overall amusing as everyone had a good laugh. In fact, his mother is going to keep the letter because it's quite a subject for talks.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the hospital issued a statement saying that the issuance of the letter was a rare error of the administrative department and that apologies are extended by the hospital for any unnecessary anxiety that their actions may have caused.
Photo: Frank de Kleine | Flickr
