The heroes who didn't have a Christmas Day

FRONTLINE STAFF PUT THEIR CELEBRATIONS ON HOLD

- DAMON WILKINSON

WHILE we were all dozing on the sofa or watching the Strictly special yesterday, for Greater Manchester’s frontline staff it was just another working day.

From NHS staff to firefighters, emergency vets to volunteers, thousands of people across our region gave up time with family and friends to put in a shift.

So today we’re celebrating our region’s Christmas heroes. These selfless people are just a small selection of those who gave up their Christmas Day to help care for others and keep us on the move.

Here are their stories:

THE NHS PHYSIO

Su O’Brien was one of the 700 or so NHS staff working on Christmas Day in Stockport. The physio was on shift on Stepping Hill’s intensive care unit, caring for some of the hospital’s most poorly patients.

Su has been at Stepping Hill for six years, and has worked the majority of Christmas Days over that time. On the ICU, her duties include ensuring patients are receiving the oxygen supply they need, clearing their airways, and maintaining their respiratory system.

She said: “Being in work on Christmas Day can be quite a difficult ask, but we play a vital role supporting the patients here. I try to celebrate with our patients.

“For those that can take part, we try to arrange Christmas Day lunch and presents and then once I am done and my shift, which can run into the night, is over I go home and catch up with friends and family on Boxing Day, which means I miss all the stress of cooking and get to eat all the leftovers!”

THE EMERGENCY VET