A miracle at Christmas

A FORMER headmaster of Clondermot High School was treated to "a miracle" to ensure he spent Christmas with his daughter in England - just weeks after the wife he had been caring for died.

A Limavady care home director has been described as having a heart of gold after he hired a plane to jet the elderly resident to his family for Christmas Day.

Ted Maxwell was left "devastated" last week after he returned to Cornfield Care Home from Belfast International after his flight to London was cancelled. Ted, whose wife Gertie passed away five weeks ago, had been planning to spend Christmas with his daughter until disastrous weather postponed and cancelled flights indefinitely last week.

The 82 year-old, a former headmaster of Clondermot High School, thought he would be spending Christmas alone until Cornfield Care Centre director Jervis Nutt stepped in and worked a "miracle" for the resident. On Christmas Eve Ted and care centre Operations Manager Christine Thompson flew out of Antrim on a privately chartered flight after Mr Nutt dug deep in his pockets so the elderly resident could spend Christmas with his family.

Ted told the Sentinel: "I just don't know what to say to Mr Nutt. I am overwhelmed with generosity and so thankful to him, I have had a terrific Christmas with my family."

Christine told the Sentinel: "It really made Ted's Christmas, he was devastated last Wednesday when he found out his flight had been cancelled after looking forward to seeing his family.

"Ted's wife Gertie died five weeks ago after years of him caring for her. At the funeral his family had said to me about bringing him over to London to spend Christmas with them and I said it wouldn't be a problem, it would give him something to look forward to. Flights were organised and on the 23rd I accompanied Ted to the airport to find his flight had been cancelled. It was devastating."

"His granddaughter had been enroute to meet him at the airport on a flight from London but it was re-routed to Dublin because of the bad weather so she had to find a way back to England."

After returning to their Limavady care home Christine phone the centre's director to let him know that Ted would be spending Christmas without his family.

Christine went on: "I got a phone call back from Jervis and he just said 'Is there any way we can get Ted to London?'

"There was no way we would be able to get a scheduled flight so I said chartering a plane was a possibility but it would be costly and Mr Nutt said 'do whatever you have to do'."

Christine spent four hours ringing local flying clubs before being passed a number to an air charter company.

"They were very helpful and told us it wouldn't be a problem, but it would cost a lot of money. I got the price and rang back Jervis.

"He said it was a lot of money but certainly worth it."

Christine and Ted flew out at 11.30am on Christmas Eve and touched down in London at around 1.20pm, giving Ted possibly one of the best Christmas presents.

"Christine adds: "He was speechless, just totally overwhelmed with generosity. He had a brilliant time with his only family and returned here a very happy man on December 27th."

"My boss certainly has a heart of gold and in a way worked a miracle. He is a Christian man and has always said Christianity doesn't stop on a Sunday. He's a gem."

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