(Apologies for the loss of images in this post, I hope to have them restored soon)

I’m sure people have often tried to imagine Ladan resting in her hospital bed as they think of her or pray for her, so I thought you may like to see some images from the room, I have deliberately left Ladan out of them as she may not like to see images of this period when she recovers. That said, Ladan always looks very beautiful, it is often difficult to imagine when we look at her that there is anything wrong as she can look so healthy. The photo of the bed was taken while Ladan was sitting in a chair which she does for a few hours most days.The wall in front of the bed is wall-papered and in the top left corner has a picture of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, an exemplary central figure of the Baha’i Faith, and then down and to the right of that a photo of Ladan’s martyred aunt Shirin Dalvand who was killed for her Baha’i beliefs in 1983 in Iran. Ladan only met her aunt Shirin a few times before they received the news of her execution but she holds those memories, and her love for her aunt, very close to her heart. Near the top of the remainder of that wall are all the cards that Ladan has been sent by friends and family, about two thirds of them are in the picture. The teddy bear is called Jamie, he was my replacement while Ladan was on ward 25 with severe stomach pains, something she could hold against her stomach, that was when I had to stick more closely to official visiting hours of 2pm – 8pm. There are a few photos of Ladan’s immediate family and then, behind the flowers, lots of cards that the children of Year 1 in Broadwater Down primary school made for Ladan. The green thing hanging on a clothing hook is a sling that is used to help Ladan get into a chair. There is also a framed piece of artwork by Arthur Easton which is part of the rooms furnishing (just out of the picture).

The photos on the window sill are a decorated ringstone symbol, another photo of ‘Abdu’l-Baha in a silver frame and decorated with rose petals, and a photo of her graduation. On the radiator there is a picture from our wedding, a photo of her Mum (the same one is on the wall) and a photo of the Shrine of Baha’u’llah in Bahji near Akka, Israel. Every room in the hospital has a wooden cabinet with shelves and a Gideon’s Bible, on top of this we currently have a simple CD player and here we keep the tapes and CDs that we play her as well as a collection of her own clothes that she wears… actually very few of them were her own clothes before she was admitted to hospital but many have been bought for her since they are suitable for the environment and they are nicer than the hospital gowns, though on occasion she is dressed in them still.

The main light in the room is a fluorescent strip light on the ceiling but there is also an awkward side light which is theoretically adjustable but has very few positions it can stay in without being held. There is also a TV/telephone system in the room provided by Patientline, this is very expensive. Ladan has often shown positive response to TV in as much as she has often been inclined to focus on it when it is on and follow it when it is moved from one position to the other.

The blue wardrobe contains some spare bedding and a few more of the personal washing things and massage oils that we have brought into the hospital. Ward 30 is on the top floor so the view out of the window is quite nice, especially on a clear day. Of course, some things do move around the room, such as the CD player and most particularly Jamie the teddy bear who is often by Ladan’s side or adopting a human-like pose somewhere on the bed, window sill, or table.