Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. 

My great friends, Alun and Jo Bason, were confronted with a situation most of us cannot even begin to imagine. 

Al and Jo had their daughter in February 2015. Immediately after the birth Al said he was feeling tired - pretty normal after the birth of a child - but then his walking became more difficult. It was an agonising eight weeks until Al was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour and then their world really fell apart.

Until then, they thought that when you ‘got cancer’ you got swept up and all the support fell neatly into place. All too quickly they realised that wasn’t the case. They felt so alone, and completely terrified. 

It was reading a Lawrence Home Nursing poster in a local supermarket that changed everything.  Jo still remembers speaking to Katrina for the first time and feeling a huge sense of relief that there was finally someone who could help to join everything up. By that afternoon Katrina had ensured that their home was correctly equipped, and they worked with the local district nurses, GP and hospice regarding all aspects of Al’s care. Katrina truly understood their complex situation and the daily challenges both Al and Jo were faced with. LHN understood that Al's diagnosis was about him as the patient, but the care needed to be for Al, Charlotte and Jo.

It’s a very personal thing to be washed, shaved, changed, helped on the toilet, dressed and fed - particularly for a 43-year-old man. The team always ensured that every aspect of his care was carried out with dignity and respect.  They adapted quickly to each situation, especially when he showed signs of distress and equally made light of situations which Al really appreciated.

By caring for Al in this way, Lawrence Home Nursing enabled him to enjoy and get the most out of the time he had…where he felt most comfortable, which was in his home…with his family.

All the staff and volunteers made them feel cared for. They listened, they distracted, they helped, and they understood. Two nurses prepared Al and Jo for the difficult conversations they needed to have, such as resuscitation, whether to have chemo, where he wanted to die and how that might happen. By doing all that the charity helped them both with his death and with Jo’s life as a widow long after that.

Al died on September 14^th, 2015 aged 44, their daughter was just 7 months old. There wasn’t one moment they weren’t by their side. The charity enables life to continue, memories to be made and death to be dignified. They made the worst of situations just that little bit easier to bear.

Please support Lawrence Home Nursing because as long as terminally ill patients wish to remain at home there’s a need for charities like it.

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.