VAL Garner has dedicated 37 years of her life to looking after others...

Val, 62, of Monk Bretton, works at the Crossroads care facility, where her attitude of ‘caring from the heart’ has touched countless lives.

Throughout her career, she’s encountered many people who, she says, have touched her heart the most recent being Pam Danforth.

When Pam’s sister-in-law, Julie Clark, first reached out to Crossroads, she was overwhelmed, juggling her job alongside finding support for Pam who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Julie was relieved to have her sister-in-law cared for by Val, calling her an ‘angel’.

Val had personal experience with caring for someone with Alzheimer’s after her mum’s battle with the disease.

This allowed Val to care for Pam with a deep level of compassion and empathy.

After caring for Pam in her home, Val would go above and beyond to offer support and companionship.

She took great care to engage Pam in conversation, speaking to her almost constantly to reassure her, if she left the room for something as small as making a cup of tea.

Out of hours, she would often visit Pam, putting on her favourite DVDs and returning hours later to check in and turn off the TV.

Val would also accompany Pam on shopping trips to the town centre, providing her with a sense of friendship and normalcy.

"Val used to take Pam in her wheelchair to see her husband. She would push her up the big hill – she is a tiny woman and I don't know how she managed it but she did," said Julie.

Eventually, Pam became Val’s honorary ‘grandma that she never had’, with Val and her partner Tracy looking after Pam’s dog, Poppy, to relieve her family.

Val and Tracy even welcomed Poppy into their family after Pam’s needs meant that she had to be moved into full-time residential care bringing her beloved furry friend for frequent visits.

Across the years, she has taken care of her other clients, rain or shine, notably braving floods and blizzards to look after them.

Val said: “Pam was like the grandma I never had.

“As soon as we got together, she took to me and I took to her.

“I would explain why we had to do things, I sat and explained to her. She liked banter, too.

“That helped me build trust.”

Julie Green, the care manager for Crossroads, added: “Julie had it rough for a lot of years, looking after her husband’s parents and then Pam.

“Val helped give Julie her life back.”