Spending the Christmas season in hospital can turn even the most festive of holiday makers into something of a grinch.

The sudden onset of a physical or mental illness can separate sufferers from their loved ones at a time of year when the company of friends and family is especially treasured.

As Ann Simms, a recent patient of the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, said: "Who the heck wants to be here at Christmas?'' She had planned to travel to Florida to spend the holiday with her daughter until a mild stroke forced her into the hospital earlier this month.

"All of a sudden it was a big disappointment,'' she recently told The Royal Gazette .

The former nurse admitted she was used to be in a medical environment -- but "just not as a patient''.

"It's always a shock when you end up in the hospital, but I think it's worse at Christmas because there were a lot of things I was going to do,'' she said.

Fortunately for Mrs. Simms, she was to be released from the hospital on Christmas Eve.

However, her room-mate and new-found friend, Heather Middleton, is less fortunate.

The two women met each other after they were admitted to the hospital.

The friendship -- which Ms Middleton jokingly referred to as a "Mutt and Jeff'' relationship -- soon grew as they began a rivalry to see who would receive floral arrangements.

"We have been running neck and neck,'' said Ms Middleton. "I'm two ahead of her.'' Flowers completely fill a shelf running the length of one of the room's walls.

Elsewhere, numerous Christmas cards cover the walls.

Despite her predicament, Ms Middleton approached the holiday season with a positive attitude and a sense of optimism.

She said she passed the time doing jigsaw puzzles, listening to music, making phone calls -- and being interrupted by doctors and nurses.

In past years she has spent Christmas visiting and dining with friends. This year promises to be only slightly different.

She said she will spend the day "eating, drinking and having a whooping time'' in the hospital.

"The normal things that everybody else is enjoying and helping others to do the same,'' she explained.

"I find that the food is very good, considering what they have to do,'' she added. "Christmas dinner should be great.'' Meanwhile, at the St. Brendan's hospital, director Joan Dillas Wright said the Christman/New Year's season is especially difficult for those struggling with old memories.

"It can be a bad time for people who have lost people in the past,'' she said. "It can be a bit difficult.'' "With the long term patients we try to get as many of them home as possible,'' she explained.

But she said the nursing staff "bent over backwards'' to make the Christmas in the facility as joyful as possible.

And recreational therapist Juliette Basden said staff begin planning Christmas activities in early December.

Many of the hospital's clients decorated their wards, travelled outside to see parades, or attended parties at local community clubs and discos, said Mrs.

Basden.

And local dignitaries -- including the Governor and Santa Claus himself -- were regular visitors to the centre.

Mrs. Basden said around half the hospital's roughly 100 clients remained during the holidays.

And many of the those inside were simply "people like us who might suffer from depression,'' she said.

On Christmas day the staff planned a huge holiday luncheon. The Christmas mood was further enhanced by the numerous independent or church and community volunteers who came to visit and talk or sing to the clients.

Two members of the learning disabled ward spoke -- in their own way -- of what Christmas meant to them.

Randy was happily looking forward to Christmas evening when his sister would take him home to the family.

And Kemah -- who is deaf and mute -- was also clearly excited about spending time with relatives.

Recently, he watched closely as a reporter from The Royal Gazette took notes during an interview with hospital supervisors.

He first signed he would be going home soon and then eagerly reached forward and took the reporter's pad and wrote his name in large letters.

Then he wrote his sister's name underneath and returned the pad with a large smile on his face.

But Mrs. Basden pointed out there were still many clients who do not see their loved ones often enough. Sometimes, staff took clients directly to the homes of elderly housebound parents.

However, there were still many other parents -- especially those of long term residents -- whose "attendance was not regular'', said Mrs. Basden.

Out of some 60 clients, perhaps 12 had consistent visitors, she said.

The predicament was highlighted by another client who first said he would be going to visit his son in Somerset on Christmas Day.

He spoke of the good food to be had on the day, but then paused for a moment and added: "I'm putting it straight to you. I might not be going home for Christmas.''