A Christmas Wish Come True – Nakita’s Story

Nakita was first admitted to hospital in April 2008. Alongside her existing special needs, she was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer, requiring intensive and highly specialised treatment.

As her condition progressed, Nakita developed increasingly complex health needs, including long-term invasive ventilation and multiple ongoing clinical interventions. What was expected to be a temporary period of care became an unimaginable reality, spanning almost two decades.

For much of Nakita’s life, hospital became her everyday world. She lived across intensive care and specialist clinical environments, facing repeated complications that increased the complexity of her care and made the dream of returning home feel ever more distant.
Yet throughout everything, Nakita remained resilient — finding joy in the moments she could share with her family. Above all else, she held on to one simple wish: to go home.

What is often unseen is that Nakita was never alone. From the very beginning, a member of her family was always by her side — her parents, Darren and Gail, or her Nan, Carol. For the first 15 years, when temporary on-site accommodation was available, Darren and Gail lived within the hospital grounds so that Nakita was never without familiar faces or constant advocacy.

In the final 18 months of her hospital stay, following a move to Southport, that unwavering presence continued. Despite the distance, Darren and Gail, alongside Nan Carol and her husband Emlyn, travelled daily from Bangor to Southport so that Nakita continued to receive the same love, reassurance, and advocacy — day and night.

In 2022, plans were made to move Nakita into a step-down unit prior to discharge — a decision taken against Nakita’s wishes and those of her family. Deeply concerned that the placement was neither the right environment nor equipped with the specialist expertise required to meet Nakita’s complex needs, her parents challenged the decision in an effort to prevent the move. Despite this, the placement went ahead.

Tragically, Nakita was harmed and neglected during her time there. A police investigation followed, and she was removed from the placement and returned to hospital as a place of safety. During this period, the family also began fundraising to secure independent forensic expertise following the assault Nakita endured.

It was at this point that planning began in earnest to bring Nakita home — where she belongs.

Despite exhaustion, trauma, and repeated setbacks, Darren and Gail never gave up. They contacted multiple care providers in search of a team with the clinical expertise, values, and commitment required to support Nakita safely at home. HomeCareDirect stood out.

From the outset, it was clear that Nakita was seen first and foremost as a person — not a package of care. With trust and confidence, the family made the decision to move forward with HomeCareDirect.

In May 2025, after years of struggle, a breakthrough finally came. With HomeCareDirect’s support, hope turned into action, and detailed planning for Nakita’s discharge home began to take shape.

Over the following months, Darren and Gail worked closely alongside HomeCareDirect’s specialist team, the ward Matron, clinicians, and commissioners across both England and Wales. Every detail was meticulously planned — from specialist equipment and highly trained staff to clinical oversight and governance — all guided by one shared goal and agreement in Nakita’s best interests: to bring Nakita home in time for Christmas.

On 2 December 2025, that goal became reality.

Nakita embarked on a 103-mile journey home for the first time in 18 years, travelling alongside her dad and a HomeCareDirect nurse in an ambulance. At approximately 2.30 pm, she arrived home, where she was greeted by her mum, her sister Yasmin, and extended family — a moment that marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

Our Registered Manager, Kaileigh, and Nurse, Ceri, who supported Nakita’s discharge, described her homecoming as one of the most magical moments they have ever witnessed. They feel truly honoured to have been part of her journey.

Nakita’s return home represents months of careful planning and collaboration — but at its heart, it is something beautifully simple: a woman returning to where she belongs, surrounded by the people who love her most, and supported by a professional care team led by her family, who truly have her best interests at heart.

As Nakita and her family prepare to celebrate their first Christmas together at home in 18 years, we would like to say:

Welcome home, Nakita. We wish you a truly magical Christmas.

From all of us at HomeCareDirect.