Prison Hospital Ward

Sometimes people confuse Guardian Angels with just nice people who return as ghosts. This story is about a helpful spirit that returns to a place where she helped out while alive.

Denver’s Hospital Unit 8 was once a children’s wing but in the 1990s it was used as a prison hospital ward.

These patients—mostly lifers-- were locked away in individual rooms—they all had terminal illnesses and so they were brought to this unit to die.

Two nurses and two deputies worked each shift in this unit. But this unit according to a nurse, Sandy Maxwell often had another visitor—one with a more altruistic motive.

One female deputy spotted this strange female visitor late one night in a part of the ward that was empty and locked. This deputy told this woman “No one is supposed to be in here. I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

The mysterious woman complied. She walked right through the shocked deputy. According to Maxwell, after this the female deputy refused to work in the ward and had to be reassigned.

Workers that remained in the ward felt this ghost was Mrs. Speers –the wife of a former mayor who used to volunteer in the ward before she died.

The prisoners often reported seeing her—especially in Room 6. These prisoners took comfort from her visits.

Maxwell never saw this apparition but states she did see a male child ghost who liked to play peek-a-boo with her. When she would turn around he then always disappeared.

She often heard phantom noises including toilets flushing and doors slamming when everyone was locked in their rooms. All the employees heard these sounds.

Two other nurses did see the ghost of Mrs. Speers when she sat down on the edge of one of the patient’s beds. This startled prisoner, a man in his forties had AIDS. He and these nurses got a good look at her.

One morning before he passed Sandy entered his room to talk. She noticed he was in good spirits. He told her, “that nice woman was in here again.” Maxwell stated he appeared less frightened about his impeding death after this visit.

This ward was demolished in recent years but some claim they have seen this helping spirit in other parts of this Colorado hospital.