On a rainy January day, four sisters (Beryl's daughters, pictured left) travelled from near and far to visit the flower they’d dedicated to their mum, Beryl, on the Memory Tree in our Sanctuary.
“Mum loved nature and flowers and growing things, so it just seemed completely fitting that it’s a flower head,” Anna, Beryl’s daughter, explained. “It’s a commemoration of our mother, but also a thank you to the Hospice.”
The Hospice first supported Beryl in 2007 after a breast cancer diagnosis. She attended a cancer support group and received outpatient treatment for lymphedema. To support the Hospice, Beryl started crocheting granny blankets that were sold by the Hospice’s Craft Group – something which she continued doing for over ten years.
In 2024, Beryl had a stroke and struggled with her health. Beryl’s daughter Anna explained how the Hospice stepped in to help. “The Hospice helped me to get equipment I was unable to access on the NHS. They were able to help us get a hospital bed at home. They sent an occupational therapist to help with other things we needed.”
In the last weeks of Beryl’s life, the Hospice’s Community Team and RPCS Team cared for her at home.
“It was like being in the sea, and the lifeboat turns up. It was a complete rescue,” Nicole, Beryl’s daughter, said of the Hospice team. “They showed Mum such respect. They talked to her every time they washed her. They were identifying things that none of the other healthcare providers noticed. The level of care exceeded anything we could’ve asked for. It was unbelievably reassuring.”
Anna agrees with her sister about the value of this support. “It meant we could manage and focus on Mum,” she said. “They kept her calm; they kept her comfortable. It was the gift of giving Mum the death that she wanted: at home, with her family around her.”
Nicole explained why she’s supported the Hospice throughout her life. “I just thought to myself, my family’s going to need it one day – or one of my friends. And lo and behold, that time came. We’ve always known how important it was, but we really found that out when we needed it.”
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