Lauren Hughes
Lauren's page
Fundraising for Isabel Hospice
Story
So this October I'm walking the Great Wall of China in aid of Isabel Hospice!
As you are probably aware - dad had the dreaded cancer.
He was a loud, proud and very strong man so seeing him suffer was heartbreaking for us all. He however put up a brilliant fight. He had been poorly for a couple of years and slowly got weaker and weaker. Mum was his full time carer and things began to all get too much.
The last Christmas we had with him (2015) Tom proposed to me. The effect it had on dad was shocking - it reignited his passion and fight as he was determined to make it so he could walk me down the isle.
Dad always hated the thought of going into a hospice - saying he saw it as giving up and that he wasn't prepared to do that.
We planned the wedding for the following May (2016) in the hope he would be well enough to fulfil his dream. Sadly dads health declined rapidly.
In the first few months of 2016 he was in such pain that he finally agreed to go to the Isabel Hospice to try and get the pain under control and some rest bite.
He was however still adamant that this would only be a temporary arrangement as he had to be out by May as he had our wedding to attend!
When dad was admitted all our lives changed. A huge pressure was lifted off us all and mum now had the emotional and physical support she so needed.
Surprisingly Dad settled in quickly. He raved about the food and remarked with happiness how actually it would be a lovely place to die. He got on so well with all the doctors and nurses and loved being able to have his much loved dog visit and stay over whenever he liked.
It was like for those first few weeks we had our old dad back.
Sadly by May 2016 it was soon clear he was so unwell he might not survive the wedding day let alone be able to leave the Hospice to attend. The fact he wouldn't be allowed out for the wedding day was heartbreaking for him. The doctors and nurses however didn't let this get him down.
They went above and beyond all expectations. In the lead up to the wedding the chaplain helped dad write a speech to be read on the day by my brother. On the day itself one of the nurses came into work early and made it so he could watch the ceremony via a live stream on his iPad. They dressed him in his suit jacket with a flower in his buttonhole. They decorated his room and made extra space by removing the excess furniture for the day. When we arrived the doctors and nurses lined the corridors to welcome us into the hospice and let us bring our wedding to him. I can't tell you how special it was for us all.
He died 3 days later.
I can't thank them enough for everything they did for us - we were made to feel like the only patients in the hospice and nothing was too much trouble - they were honest at all times and became like a second family. Every family you meet who has experience of the hospice has similar stories to tell.
I want to raise funds for the hospice so that other families who are going through awful times can get the chance to experience what we did and to be able to use this fantastic hospice.
Why this specific event though?
Dad was an international basketball referee so travelled a lot in his lifetime. He saw all the great wonders of the world.
One of his favourite trips was to the Beijing olympics when he visited the Great Wall. He spoke about it with such awe.
I will also completely my journey along the wall on the day of his 63rd birthday.
I know I'm asking for a lot of money but it is so worth it - I can't explain just how special this hospice is and they really are worth every single penny ..... anything you can spare will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
As you are probably aware - dad had the dreaded cancer.
He was a loud, proud and very strong man so seeing him suffer was heartbreaking for us all. He however put up a brilliant fight. He had been poorly for a couple of years and slowly got weaker and weaker. Mum was his full time carer and things began to all get too much.
The last Christmas we had with him (2015) Tom proposed to me. The effect it had on dad was shocking - it reignited his passion and fight as he was determined to make it so he could walk me down the isle.
Dad always hated the thought of going into a hospice - saying he saw it as giving up and that he wasn't prepared to do that.
We planned the wedding for the following May (2016) in the hope he would be well enough to fulfil his dream. Sadly dads health declined rapidly.
In the first few months of 2016 he was in such pain that he finally agreed to go to the Isabel Hospice to try and get the pain under control and some rest bite.
He was however still adamant that this would only be a temporary arrangement as he had to be out by May as he had our wedding to attend!
When dad was admitted all our lives changed. A huge pressure was lifted off us all and mum now had the emotional and physical support she so needed.
Surprisingly Dad settled in quickly. He raved about the food and remarked with happiness how actually it would be a lovely place to die. He got on so well with all the doctors and nurses and loved being able to have his much loved dog visit and stay over whenever he liked.
It was like for those first few weeks we had our old dad back.
Sadly by May 2016 it was soon clear he was so unwell he might not survive the wedding day let alone be able to leave the Hospice to attend. The fact he wouldn't be allowed out for the wedding day was heartbreaking for him. The doctors and nurses however didn't let this get him down.
They went above and beyond all expectations. In the lead up to the wedding the chaplain helped dad write a speech to be read on the day by my brother. On the day itself one of the nurses came into work early and made it so he could watch the ceremony via a live stream on his iPad. They dressed him in his suit jacket with a flower in his buttonhole. They decorated his room and made extra space by removing the excess furniture for the day. When we arrived the doctors and nurses lined the corridors to welcome us into the hospice and let us bring our wedding to him. I can't tell you how special it was for us all.
He died 3 days later.
I can't thank them enough for everything they did for us - we were made to feel like the only patients in the hospice and nothing was too much trouble - they were honest at all times and became like a second family. Every family you meet who has experience of the hospice has similar stories to tell.
I want to raise funds for the hospice so that other families who are going through awful times can get the chance to experience what we did and to be able to use this fantastic hospice.
Why this specific event though?
Dad was an international basketball referee so travelled a lot in his lifetime. He saw all the great wonders of the world.
One of his favourite trips was to the Beijing olympics when he visited the Great Wall. He spoke about it with such awe.
I will also completely my journey along the wall on the day of his 63rd birthday.
I know I'm asking for a lot of money but it is so worth it - I can't explain just how special this hospice is and they really are worth every single penny ..... anything you can spare will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.