Thanks for visiting my fundraising page.
hello all, my name is Steve Rae, Stig to virtually everyone else except my mother. I have set up this web page to raise funds for st Barnabas, our local hospice. My means of doing this is by way of a sponsored walk with my dog Tigger along the 80 mile length of hadrians wall.
I've had virtually nothing to do with st Barnabas other than to visit my grandmother in 1999 when she was cared for there until the end of her life, until october last year.
In july 2008 my mother's world was turned upside down when her partner of 21 years, Les Porter, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He was only 59. He already had prostate cancer but was continuing with his life without any treatment, just being monitored, until he came home from work one day complaining of feeling very dizzy and seemed to have lost the grip in his left hand. Within days the the tumor had been diagnosed and he had been operated on to relieve the pressure on his brain. in no time he was back playing his golf and the old Les was back. But, luck was not on his side and he deteriorated rapidly. Reluctantly on 3rd october he was admitted to st Barnabas Hospice as my mother and the family could no longer offer him the support and help that his condition required. He was wonderfully confused and tidily put shopping away in the wrong places, i.e. soap in the fridge and toilet roll in the dishwasher, but his legs gave way all too often.
He was so happy at st Barnabas, he loved the jacuzzi and fell in love with Dorothy after one particularly funny episode. He thought he was in a hotel and wanted to know in what rooms various members of the family were staying in as we spent so much time there. The nurses and staff looked after him superbly, when he complained that he couldn't get sky on the tv one was provided the next day that had the desired sports channels, even though he tried to change them with his mobile phone.
To the end of his life he was never in pain and joked with the nurses on lucid days. Everyone was so supportive, not only to him as he could not have had better care, but to the whole family.
After being involved and seeing for myself how hardworking and dedicated the nursing team are, I want to help by raising funds and so for some time now Tigger and I have been training for our walk which will take place 7th september 2009.
Please, please, please help us to raise funds for these hard working and tireless carers who our community owe so much to. many thanks. Steve.(stig)
