Jilly Sharpe, 25, and Marlene Pearson, 58, both from Newhall, got up at 5am last Sunday to be confronted with freezing temperatures and at least six inches of snow, which meant they couldn’t get their cars off their driveways.

Undaunted, the carers — who work for Burton-based Radis Care — put on their walking boots and set out to Stapenhill for their first patient visit.

They then walked into Burton and on to Stretton before making their final call in Horninglow.

Ms Pearson, who has been a carer for 10 years, told the Mail: “I couldn’t get my car off the drive, so we decided to walk instead. We visited five patients but they were all spread out in different areas.

“It took us five hours to get from placeto- place but we didn’t mind. The vulnerable adults we look after rely on us, and if we hadn’t gone to help them out of bed no-one else would have — it’s part of our job.”

Meanwhile, Miss Sharp, who has been a carer for three years, said: “Our patients need us, so it is important we care for them whatever the weather. If we didn’t go to them they wouldn’t have had a drink, got out of bed or had a meal.

“They were surprised to see us but grateful we had gone to them.”

One of the residents visited by the carers was 83-year-old Hazel Dickinson, of Chestnut Grange, Burton, who said: “They have total devotion to their duties and they deserve a medal for walking the distance they did to come and care for me. I don’t know what I would have done without them.”

The pair were also praised by their branch manager, Beverley Matthews, who said she was proud of what they did to ensure that their service users got the care they needed.

She added: “That’s what I call dedication.

“When they realised they wouldn’t be able to get their cars out, they proceeded to walk for miles with no prompting from anyone. When I found out what they were doing, I went to collect them to save them the walk home. I also had to collect other carers that were walking in the snow.

“Our service users were so grateful to them for the lengths the pair went to in ensuring they had a hot meal and were safe and well.”

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Carer-pair-brave-snow-in-10-mile-hike-to-patients-09022012.htm