Our amazing 3 year olds are walking 50km throughout the duration of the Midnight Walk at Home for St Luke's Hospice. We will be walking on the Moors, coastal walks, through some local parks, and we will pass both of their grandparent's memorial spots and finish at St Luke's Turnchaple. Whilst we are sure they are going to love the challenge, this is a very long distance for little legs and we are asking their supporters to dig deep for a cause so close to our hearts, as they bought our children precious time with their beloved grandparents.

In 2019 Gemma sadly lost her Dad to lung cancer and Kelly sadly lost her Mum in 2020 to bowel cancer. As mum’s with toddlers we experienced losing a loved whilst needing to support our little people experiencing losing someone they so dearly treasured as well. We decided we wanted to do this challenge together with our little people and hopefully help fundraise much needed funds for a wonderful charity that helped us when we were most in need.

Our amazing 3 year olds are walking 50km throughout the duration of the Midnight Walk at Home for St Luke's Hospice. We will be walking on the Moors, coastal walks, through some local parks, and we will pass both of their grandparent's memorial spots and finish at St Luke's Turnchaple. Whilst we are sure they are going to love the challenge, this is a very long distance for little legs and we are asking their supporters to dig deep for a cause so close to our hearts, as they bought our children prescious time with their beloved grandparents.

Our stories...

Georgie and her Grandad were thick as thieves and made eachother laugh every single day. His relationship with Georgie and his Grandson William was very special and they absolutely adored him. 

We were floored by the news he had incurable advanced lung cancer in March 2019. When he very quickly deteriorated just two weeks later, the registrar for St Luke's gave him a bed at Turnchaple and assured me it was for respite not end of life care. After two weeks of care at Turnchaple and my Dad picked up so much that they afforded us enough time to make memories as a family that Georgina still remembers and talks about over a year later. 

Their team have continued to keep in contact with our family and are visiting my home for bereavement services in a few weeks. Had this CHARITY not been there to support us I honestly don't know what would have happened, they provide services where there is a huge gap in social care provisions, they do so much more than running the hospice but unfortunately this is something you don't find out until you are in an awful position. Nothing is safe anymore, and we certainly can't rely on the current government to ensure dignity in death, and I just hope that St Luke's is always there to support other families in the same position.

Dorrie was a Nanny’s girl, they enjoyed tea parties, baking, gardening, reading and sleep overs together and there was rarely a day that went by that they didnt see each other.

We found out in June 2019 that mum had abnormal cells after a routine sample test and we went through 6 weeks of tests and waiting before being told mum had bowel cancer, then more weeks of testing to be told mum had terminal cancer which had spread to the lymph nodes. She was offered chemo as a form od management and mum was determined to try it to get us some more time together. She had a dreadful reaction to it and ended up in hospital for a month, we were then told that chemo was no longer an option ans referred fo St Lukes for palliative care.

St Lukes were quick to come and make adaptations to mums house so that we could make her as comfortable as possible for as long as possible at home. They helped us to have some difficult conversations as a family. Whilst mum was at home we had a few issues with the adult social care plan that had been put in place, without even being asked they contacted the care agency to address some issues recognising it was the last thing we wanted to be dealing with. When the time came and we were in mums final week we assumed she would go into the hospice but they were full, we were so upset and worried but St Lukes sorted a care home within hours and ensured it was a carehome that would allow us 24/7 access so that my sister and I could sleep in the room.

We are so grateful for the support we recieved, the staff expertise and compassion is incredible but even we experienced that at times they do reach capacity and need more funding to continue the incredible work that they do.