Six years ago this month, I lost my mum, Louise Emanuel, to a rare brain condition called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). She was an amazingly passionate and loving person, so watching her rapid decline from diagnosis to death in a matter of months was heart-breaking for everyone who knew her.
I will forever be indebted to the end-of-life care that she received, opening my eyes to the truly heroic roles that hospice carers play in our communities, that are so rarely acknowledged. Although my mum died in a different hospice, I am raising money for St Joseph's as I have formed a close relationship with this institution, renting an office in their building on Mare Street and becoming close with many of the people here. After the life-affirming experiences that I shared with hospice staff during some of my most difficult moments, I very much value spending my working days amongst the community here at St Jo's.
I am running this year's Hackney Half Marathon to raise money for this amazing oasis of love & support that really is the beating heart of this beautiful borough of London. Any donations that you can spare would be much appreciated.
With love,
A x
About St Joseph's Hospice
St Joseph's’s Hospice opened in Hackney in 1905, and since then has been caring for and supporting people affected by serious illness in eight London boroughs. We work to improve the quality of life of more than 2,100 patients with life-limiting conditions each year, helping them live life to the full, to the very last. We have to raise £16,000 each day to keep our vital services running and available to the 2.2 million people in our diverse community, so every penny raised for our hospice is really important, and very much appreciated.
