The Butterwick Hospice in Stockton receives no government funding, it provides palliative & excellent care for terminally ill suffererers & their familes through charitable donations.

I have witnessed first hand the care they offer as a result of my mother being a patient with them in 2000.

 My mother sadly passed away at the Butterwick 10yrs ago in May 2000 due to cancer which affects so many familes out there. Towards her passing simple things like taking a bath proved very painful & difficult for her.– climbing into a bath tub just wasn’t feasible & was very distressing for her & for loved ones to see.

However with the specialist support equipment and care provided to my mother by the Hospice allowed her to once again  feel dignified & relaxed for that moment laid in a lovely hot bubbly tub having her hair washed painfree (my mam did enjoy having her hair done) – something which many of us take for granted meant so much to my mam & has been one of the many special things I remember about the hospice.

 

For a long time afterwards due to the loss of my mother (and also my father just 2 yrs previously) I suffered depression & stress & really struggled with my weight & health. I was punishing myself to a life of ‘rollercoaster’ mental torture.

As a serving Police Officer within Cleveland Police I was already under a lot of stress due to the demands my role offerered. The occupational Health dept of Cleveland Police was very supportive to me over the years & I would like to express my many thanks to them.

However in the end it is down to us as individuals to finally pick ourselves up & move on.

 

But it wasn’t until the end of 2009 when I met my current boyfriend Mr Sven HOULDEY that I finally found true happiness & a reason to enjoy life once more as a result of his support & love.

As a result I lost over 2 stone & began regaining my health & fitness back & the anti-depressions were finally a thing of the past.

 

Knowing how much Sven has given me & how much the Butterwick gave my mam in the last few weeks of her life made me determined to finally be able to give something back after all these years.

 As a result on the 10 yr anniversary of my mams death I contacted the Butterwick & volunteered to participate in the Great North Run this year in order to raise money for their fantastic cause, of which I was chuffed to bits to be accepted for.

 

Prior to applying to do the run I had never ran further than a couple of miles, so goes to show its never to late to start looking after yourself or to give something back to someone or in my case a number of people no matter how many years have gone by.

Lifes too short. So get out there & look after yourself & each other.