Dear All,
On the 17th April 2011 I will be running the London Marathon for the 1st time, in aid of Help the Hospices. As many of you know, I lost my dear Dad (D5) to cancer on Boxing Day 2008 and running became my main source of dealing with what was going on around me. What many of you may not realise were his final few weeks were spent in St Richard’s Hospice, Worcester where he and the rest of us were cared for. This time was by far the hardest thing I have ever had to cope with but with thanks to the amazing facilities and truly wonderful staff (no words can describe my sincere and heartfelt gratitude) this time was not only sad but contained some memories dearly cherished and even some happy & funny times too.
My Mother, Kathy, had not left my Dad’s side since he was diagnosed with acute bowel cancer in June 2008 and had become his full-time carer. She was allowed to stay in his room in a spare bed every night he was there. There were kitchen facilities to make it feel like home from home, but at the same time enable us an opportunity to meet relatives of other people that were going through the same thing. It was through this kitchen facility that Mum met her now best friend Bren. For my brother Jonny and me it became a second home. We were able to spend most nights including Dad’s final days staying in a guest room there. The lounge area had a Christmas tree, relaxing sofas and a piano. The chapel held a Christmas Eve carol singing service and on Christmas day the vicar came into Dad’s room and held a mini blessing service for just the four of us.
Due to the level of care Dad needed to receive, he couldn’t be cared for at home and our experiences in hospital had felt clinical and lacking the palliative care that we needed. We knew Dad was never going to get better so we wanted to enjoy our last days with him in the best way possible. It is not really something talked about, but caring for a terminal patient at home isn’t necessarily the best thing for everyone involved. Dad dying in a hospice meant when things became difficult we had the best care possible available immediately when we needed it. It also meant when all our experiences good and bad were over, the three of us could return to normality, to our safe haven, home.
I hope some of this goes to explain why I have been holding out to run the most iconic marathon for this one charity alone. To St Richard’s Hospice thank you and especially to our favourite nurse Margie whom we all would look forward to seeing on her shift and would bring a smile to Dad’s face with her cheeky sense of humour.
Thank you for your support Sarah (My Dad’s D3)
