A LISTER Hospital employee is planning to head off to India to work in a hospital, following a week long visit there earlier this month.

Stephanie Larman, of Aylward Drive, Stevenage, is an operating department manager on the maternity unit, and hopes to head out to India in January to work at a hospital there.

She visited the still unfinished building on her trip, and “fell in love with the country” in the short time she was there.

“I had a great time,” said Stephanie, who has worked at Lister Hospital for 15 years,

“I never thought I would get the chance to work abroad, so it’s so good to have that opportunity.”

As well as visiting the hospital and doing a bit of sight-seeing, Stephanie visited a rehabilitation centre which looks after children who have had corrective orthopaedic surgery for conditions such as club foot and twisted limbs.

And after seeing the water damage in the mothers and children room there, Stephanie has vowed to raise money to fix the roof that caused it before she heads off on her trip.

“It was like walking back in time, because the centre was so run down and old,” said Stephanie.

“When I saw the damage in that room, I just knew I had to do something. I want to raise �5000 by Christmas.

“The children at the centre asked me to take their picture on my digital camera, and were fascinated when they could see themselves on the screen.”

Although Stephanie has no concrete plans yet, her husband is running a half marathon in which she hopes they can raise sponsorship, and she’s on the lookout for more ideas.

“If I can get raise that amount of money, it will make such a difference to the people at the centre,” said Stephanie.