Charlotte’s story

My mum was in the Hospice on two occasions, the first time being for some respite care and the second time shortly after that for more respite care that actually turned into end-of-life care. She had been diagnosed in the November and her first stay at the Hospice was in the April of the following year.

First impressions

Before coming to the Hospice, I thought it would be dark and depressing, my mum thought that once you entered a hospice you didn’t come out alive, which wasn’t the case with her first stay.

When we went to the Hospice, it was a lovely light place and so much nicer than the hospital ward that she had been transferred from.  We really valued the privacy that the individual rooms offered and not having a limit on visitor numbers.

Coming together

It was my birthday whilst mum was in the Hospice (the day after we found out that mum would be switching from respite care to end of life care) so we had a family gathering in her room with some champagne, it was lovely that we were able to do that without worrying about time limits or being told off for there being too many of us!

Little touches

We were lucky in that the weather was nice enough for us to be able to wheel mum out of her room to enjoy the garden sunshine by the pond. I appreciated the cake that was out every day and the board games, my mum still managed to beat me at scrabble even though she was dying!

Every staff member and volunteer that we encountered were really friendly and nice. I felt like I could turn up any time of day or night and still receive care and support.

I remember there was a lady at the Hospice who really looked after me and my sister in my mum’s final days. She had such a friendly face.

I used the Hospice’s Bereavement Support Counsellor after my mum had passed, which really helped me to acknowledge the steps of grieving.

Helping the Hospice

It’s been 13 years since my mum passed away. In December, my daughter, husband and I took part in the Hospice’s fundraiser – Reindeer Run. It’s important to me to teach my daughter about the importance of supporting charities, especially local ones.

The Reindeer Run was great as it was family-friendly, fun and a cause very close to my heart. Although my mum passed a long time before my daughter was born, it’s still important that she knows about her and the different places that supported her and the family throughout. The amount raised is a great reflection on the big hole that my mum left in so many peoples’ lives.

Charlotte and her daughter raised over £1000 by taking part in Reindeer Run.

To sign up for our 2023 Reindeer Run, click here.