Lola's Story

'I do not know what I would have done without Liz, she is a big help I do not think that I would still be here.'

Lola lives alone in Borehamwood, and is originally from Greece. Lola was referred to us in early 2019, by the HertsHelp Navigation Service as she was feeling extremely lonely and isolated, and very low.

She has tragically lost both of her sons in the last two years and was grieving and struggling enormously with the reality of this. She does have some other family but not locally and they aren’t particularly close.

As well providing her with some initial emotional support from our InTouch Team and signposting her to bereavement services, we matched Lola with one of lovely experienced volunteers, Liz, in March 2019. Liz has been a constant support for Lola since the day they met. She has spent time listening to her worries over her health, and her grief over her sons, has helped sort out GP and hospital appointments and transport to hospital, helped her understand and sort out her bills, as well as just sitting with her and chatting over a cup of tea and a piece of cake.

Lola has been ever so grateful since being matched with Liz, saying: “I get so low – Liz is such a wonderful person, she makes me feel better. I am so lucky to have her and I am so grateful for you introducing her to me.”
She continues: “I don’t know what I would have done without Liz, she is a big help I don’t think that I would still be here.”

The pandemic has been particularly hard for Lola, however Liz continued to call her by phone regularly, and they have a shared faith. They sometimes met in the garden of their church, when they were able, with their camping chairs. Once the guidelines allowed visits in the garden, and then back inside the house, Liz has continued to visit or call Lola weekly.