21/12/2025
As my husband thanked me for arranging our Visiting Angels Manchester East Christmas party, I watched back his speech and was taken straight back to 2022, the year our journey truly began.
That was the year we stepped into a path i didn’t fully understand at the time, one that would test our strength in ways we could never have anticipated.
Since then, there have been tears of sadness and tears of joy. The road to where we are today has taken its toll on us both. Watching my brother survive a haemorrhagic stroke, followed by the sudden loss of your brother, was a profound reminder of how fragile and precious life is.
Today, grief found me again as I mourned my cousin, taken suddenly by a heart attack. Yet through every loss and every heartbreak, faith carried us forward, and you remained my rock, as I have been yours.
We have faced every storm together, drawing strength from faith, resilience, and each other. Even when our hearts were heavy, we continued to show up with purpose and compassion for our clients and our Angels, trusting that every test has meaning.
Winning the Great British Care Awards was a blessing and a moment of pride, yet I will still be glad to see the end of this year. It has been deeply challenging and emotionally demanding.
Long after Visiting Angels, it will be our love, our strength, and the shared values and dreams that guide us that will continue to shape our journey together.
I love you, Dr Badar Usmani