In February 2025, my beloved husband Matthew was diagnosed with stage 4 spinal glioblastoma, an exceptionally rare form of cancer with only around 200 cases ever reported.

After receiving his diagnosis, Matthew’s greatest wish was to get married. Thanks to the incredible team at the Marie Curie Hospice, that wish became a reality. They supported him with care and treatment to help him feel well enough for our special day, and even provided a nurse to be present at the wedding in case he needed support.

Unfortunately, just six weeks after our wedding, Matthew had to be readmitted to the hospice due to a rapid decline in his health and sadly passed away on 3rd August 2025, aged 32.

The love, compassion, and dedication shown by the staff at Marie Curie during this time were truly extraordinary.

Matthew cared deeply about helping others, and in his honour, our family is committed to giving back so that others can receive the same comfort and support in their most difficult moments.

We will forever be grateful to Marie Curie for the exceptional care they gave Matthew during both of his stays with them and to the compassion they showed us as family during our darkest time.

Weve been caring for local people in this way for more than 50 years, now. Every single day at the hospice is an extraordinary day.

We listen, support and give high-quality care during what can be a difficult, challenging and distressing time. And we get to know people as individuals, find out what makes them happy, and help to make those things happen.

That might mean sitting with them in the hospice garden, or arranging for their pet to visit them at the hospice. We focus on the special things that bring people joy.

We also provide important support for carers and families, including bereavement support and counselling.

We need to raise £6,150 per day to run the hospice, so every penny counts. Thank you for helping to make sure more people with a terminal illness in and around Belfast, get the care and support they need. If you would like to find out more about raising funds for our hospice, visit: https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/help/hospice-care/hospices/belfast/fundraise