Leyton Orient footie players urged the public to live life to the full when they met patients on the respite ward during a visit to St Joseph’s Hospice.
Striker David Mooney and midfielder Marc Laird were particularly impressed by the spirit shown by two patients nearing their 90th birthday, Lillian John, of East Ham, and Peter Whitehead, of Stamford Hill.
“People have a perception that hospices are depressing places but these people just want to live for the moment and have fun,” said Mooney, whose grandfather died in a Dublin hospice 10 years ago.
“Training and playing football it’s easy to take your health for granted, but coming here and hearing what happened to Farbrice Muamba, makes you realise you just have to live for the moment.”
Lillian and Peter, who both live alone, were on the respite ward at the hospice in Mare Street, where patients usually stay for two weeks to give their carers a break or to stabilise their condition.
“If I’d know they were going to be such good looking fellas I’d have put my teeth in,” said Lillian.
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