On the 31st of January this year my life was turned upside down when I lost my amazing daddy Anthony at just 57 years old.

He battled with an undiagnosed form of peripheral vascular disease for over 10 years. He spent the last few years of his life in and out of hospital, including an episode of sepsis and being placed in a coma in ICU.

The doctors told us he had a 5% chance of survival and I thought I would never get to speak to him again, he was resuscitated multiple times but against the odds he survived and we were so blessed to have another precious year and a half with him.

However, in the last year of his life he began deteriorating further. The decision was made for him not continue any further active treatment, and he also didn't want to spend any more time in hospital. The idea of going to the hospice was suggested to him but he was initially so apprehensive about this and instead just wanted to come home.

We looked after him for a few weeks in a hospital bed in our living room before we decided it was best he could be made more comfortable staying at the hospice instead.

He spent the final two months of his life at the Pilgrims hospice, and I think the length of his time there exceeded everyone’s expectations! It sounds like such a cliche thing to say but he really was a fighter and he used to joke he was 'bulletproof' lol.

The kindness, compassion, and dignity shown to him by the team at the Pilgrims Hospice was amazing. They supported not just him, but us as a family, through the most difficult time of our lives.

In April next year, I’ll be running the London Marathon in his memory, to raise money so that the Pilgrims Hospice can continue helping other families the way they did mine. I know he would be so buzzing for me to do this as I've always wanted to run it and also the fact Palace won the FA cup this year!

I will be thinking of him every step of those 26.2 miles, the most kindest, amazing man, who I miss every single day. Any donation big or small would mean the world to help me reach my target of £2000 and help more people receive the same care and compassion my as my dad at the end of their lives.

Thank you so much,

Court 💙