Dedicated nurses at an Aberdeen hospital have made the final wishes of a dying grandfather come true.
Grandfather Roland Smith enjoyed one final emotional reunion with beloved family pet Koda the cocker spaniel.
Along with an ice cream, a hug from the affectionate dog was one his final wishes.
Nurses at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary were only too happy to help, to the delight of his family, who said they were “immensely grateful” his last days had been so special.
Days later Mr Smith died from complications caused by pneumonia while receiving cancer treatment.
Granddaughter Lois Smith, 18, said the time 80-year-old Roland spent at the hospital had been difficult for the family.
She said: “My grandad went to the doctor one day because he was having chest pains. The doctor sent him to get his chest checked and that’s when he found out he had cancer. It was just before Christmas.
“They found a tumour in his bowel and he was admitted to ARI to have it removed. He was supposed to go home after the surgery, but he contracted pneumonia.”
Roland formed a bond with the nurses on Ward 206 who did their utmost to grant him a few final wishes.
First they allowed him to eat an ice-cream.
Lisa said: “I don’t know where he got the idea from because he’s not an ice-cream person. Maybe he saw someone eating it, but he would not stop asking.”
Roland’s second wish was that of seeing Koda, the family’s cocker spaniel he used to look after on Wednesdays.
Lisa said that when the dog walked in her granddad’s face “lit up and so did the whole room”.
Her grandfather’s desire for a pint of McEwan’s Export was granted too.
“He was so happy,” Lisa said.
“He wasn’t able to speak much at that point, so he would give us thumbs up, a smile and pointed to the tin when he wanted more”.
A wee drink was his final wish before dying on March 6.
He left behind his wife of 54 years, Dorothy, as well as his two children and three grandchildren.
An NHS Grampian spokesman said: “We are enormously proud of the compassion, professionalism and care our staff show, particularly when it comes to something like end of life care.
“The little things staff can do can make all the difference to patients and loved ones at times like these”.