Dancing through life
When former classical dancer Geraldine Fox, 95, found herself recovering after heart surgery at one of our community hospitals, it was her muscle memory that helped her back on her feet.
It might have been nearly Christmas and she was an inpatient at Tonbridge Cottage Hospital, but Geraldine Fox sat looking out of her window, beaming ear-to-ear.
Pictured above right: Geraldine Fox with Matron Caroline Essenhigh.
The place brought back many wonderful memories of her exciting life running one of the most successful dance schools in Kent.
Geraldine would bring groups of children to the community hospital to perform. The spot she was gazing at was the very place little feet had tapped, pointed and kicked through routines to entertain patients back in the 1970s.
“It was a full circle moment,” she laughed. “I was put in a room that looked directly over where the old gardens we used to perform were. I could almost hear the children laughing and chattering. They are my past and there I was, in my 90s, trying to get back on my feet. It willed me on.”
The spirit of Christmas past kept appearing during Geraldine’s month-long stay. Matron Caroline Essenhigh, a dancer herself, instantly recognised Geraldine. She was gobsmacked when Geraldine could remember her vividly from 30 years before.
Geraldine said: “I might be 95 and forget what I’ve come into a room for, but I don’t often forget a face. Caroline was at a different school but I saw her dance at competitions – she was marvellous.”
Geraldine was getting ready for Christmas when she attended a scheduled appointment at King’s College Hospital to have a valve replaced in her heart. The operation was intense and afterwards she required rehabilitation and support, so was admitted to Tonbridge Cottage Hospital for 10 days.
“It was a rotten time right by Christmas, but the staff at the hospital made it very festive and their positivity rubs off on you.”
On the ward, Geraldine threw herself into rehabilitation exercises for her balance and strength, prescribed by her physiotherapists – using all her muscle memory from her dancing days to get on with them independently.
She smiled: “Physio was all the things I taught the children for 43 years: ‘Good toes, naughty toes’, which means pointing your toes up and down for calf strength, or things like laying on my back and holding my feet up in the air for my core strength. I started to feel better, much more quickly than I expected to.”
Matron Caroline Essenhigh said: “Our hospital rehab teams are dedicated to keeping people moving.
“Just one week in hospital can lead to 10 per cent less muscle strength, a 25 per cent reduction in circulation and a decline in dignity, confidence and independence.
“For patients over 80 these stats become starker. Just 10 days of bed rest can lead to 10 years of muscle ageing.
“Geraldine embraced physiotherapy with all of the enthusiasm of someone with a lot of self-discipline, something I can imagine she learned through dance. By getting up, getting moving every day, Geraldine made incredible strides in her recovery.
“We worked with her to set individual goals, assessing what is important to her. For Geraldine, it was getting back to her home and her pet cats, simple things like housework and gardening.
“Geraldine’s journey is a powerful reminder of the benefits of keeping up with physical activity after an operation, no matter your age.”
Geraldine lived in Ireland until she was 10. In her Irish school, dancing was commonplace and she developed a passion for it. When her family returned to Kent in 1940, she took up the piano and learned to read music, before returning to dance as a teenager.
“I was a Tiller girl – we were a famous precision dance troupe known for high-kicking routines and synchronised choreography, it was amazing to watch. I was also in a 14-week pantomime.”
When she was in her 20s and working in London as a typist, Geraldine arranged to hire the YMCA Building in Tonbridge to teach children dance classes like ballet, tap, modern and jazz.
“We started with five children, which eventually grew to sometimes as many as 350. I ended up working until 8.30pm at night teaching dancing.”
It is clear when speaking to her that Geraldine has lived a fun and varied life that included not only her teaching career, but travelling to more than 80 countries.
She said: “I just loved to get out there and embrace the world. I still feel that energy, despite being 95. The support and care I received at Tonbridge Cottage Hospital really helped me regain that self-confidence, at a difficult time.”
Since returning home, Geraldine is able to get about with the help of a frame and is keeping up her exercises.
She concluded: “It was nice to reminisce with Caroline about dancing and to know I still had the moves when it came to my physiotherapy. Thank you to the team at Tonbridge Cottage Hospital for getting me back to my best.”
Our community hospitals play a vital role in supporting patients like Geraldine, during recovery. Our dedicated teams work together to provide rehabilitation, nursing and therapy services. By focusing on what is important to the patient, we make sure they can return home safely and as quickly as possible. For Geraldine, it was getting her fitness back to do things around the home, for others it could be something different.
