South London rapper Dave has helped to fund a new scheme which provides elderly patients with essential items such as toiletries and socks when they are discharged from a hospital in Tooting. Patients leaving St George’s Hospital will be handed free packs including tea, coffee and non-slip socks to help them settle back into the comfort of their own home. The packs are provided by Juliet O Foundation – a charity set up by Dave’s mother Juliet Omorgie – in partnership with St George’s Hospital Charity.
Ms Omorgie, who has been a health and social care worker for more than 35 years, established the foundation to help elderly patients with their transition back home after a stay in hospital. She explained: “We believe that these discharge packs can make a real difference in the recovery process for elderly patients. “Our goal is to provide comfort and care as they transition home, and we are thrilled to partner with St George’s Hospital Charity to deliver these to those who need them most.”.
Dave, also known as Santan Dave, has previously been hailed as a once-in-a-generation talent and the closest thing the UK has to Kenrick Lamar. He previously told the Standard his mother would leave home at 5am every day for her job as a nurse and would not return until 10 or 11pm. In an interview in 2019, the rapper explained Ms Omorgie had felt a lot of stigma as his two brothers were both in prison.
His older brother, Chris, was sent to prison for life after being involved in the killing of Sofyen Belamouadden at Victoria Station in 2010, followed by his eldest brother, Ben, for fraud, a few years later. Ben has since been released. When asked about what has changed most in his life, he told the Standard: “I’ve given her bragging rights. That’s something my mum’s definitely big on, like any African parent. Like any parent.”.
Around 100 patients a month will benefit from the packs – which are all tailored to individual patient’s needs. Farisha Agraviador, Head of Nursing for Senior Health at St George’s Hospital, said: “Returning home after a hospital stay can be challenging for many of our elderly patients. “These discharge packs offer a thoughtful gesture of support, easing the transition and giving patients what they need to feel more secure and comfortable in those first few days of recovery.”.
Davina Metters, Director of Fundraising and Communications at St George’s Hospital Charity added: “We are incredibly grateful to The Juliet O Foundation for their generosity. “Thanks to our supporters, we’re able to enhance the care we provide to elderly patients and offer them an extra layer of comfort as they return home. This partnership is a testament to what we can achieve together for our patients.”.
