BARNSLEY Hospital’s Resuscitation Unit has been shortlisted for a Proud of Barnsley award after helping a man say goodbye to his dying wife.

John Goodfellow helped to raise funds for the hospital after his wife - well-known bingo caller Dorothy Goodfellow - collapsed and died from a heart attack.

Dorothy was just 56 and her death left her friends, family, and colleagues reeling.

“I couldn’t believe what had happened when I got the phone call,” said John, 60, of Hartington Drive, Honeywell.

“Only the day before we had gone for drinks at Gawber Club to watch a band and on that day, she had been playing with our grandson before heading off to work. There was no sign anything was wrong, she complained a little of heartburn but that was it.”

“We’ve been together for 38 years and to lose her so quickly was, and still is, devastating.”

John praised the resus unit for helping him spend time with Dorothy before she died, and £4,000 was raised in the her memory, with staff at Dorothy’s work, Buzz Bingo, holding a collection. Money was also raised through donations at her funeral.

“I wanted to do something for the resus unit at the hospital because they brought her back for a precious few minutes for us to say goodbye and I will forever be grateful that we had the chance to see her before she went,” said John.

“When the staff told me they had raised the money in a week, I was bowled over by it.”

Dorothy’s manager, Mandy Ryalnce, 58, said: “I’ve been at Buzz Bingo for 37 years and I was the person who interviewed Dorothy all those years ago.

“She was quiet when she first started but I saw her come out of her shell. She was always at the outings and things we put on and we were a team in the pub quiz.

“She always came to work with a smile and was well loved by everyone, we always had a bit of a laugh to get the day going.

“I was the one that found her in the toilet and I had to break the door down to get to her, it was really heartbreaking and she meant so much to everyone.”

To remember their friend and colleague, staff at Buzz Bingo have created ‘Dorothy’s Bonus Board’ in her honour so that she will always be a part of the club.