Sue Ryder is asking Gloucestershire residents to support its latest fundraising campaign – with donations from the county’s locals going towards helping families to fill their final Christmas with love.
For many families, this Christmas is especially important after being kept apart for so long by Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 – and for families who have a loved one with a life limiting condition or terminal illness, it may be their last chance to spend Christmas together.
The vital funds will help those across Gloucestershire to spend their Christmas surrounded by the things they love most, with Sue Ryder’s teams going above and beyond to provide expert end-of-life care and help families say proper goodbyes
Hannah received support from Sue Ryder after her dad, Martin, was diagnosed with a brain tumour during lockdown in November 2020.
Martin wanted to spend his final months at home with his family and that’s when the team from Sue Ryder stepped in.
Hannah said: ‘Without Sue Ryder we just wouldn’t have been able to have dad at home. We had the help of a Sue Ryder Nurse who was absolutely brilliant.
‘We were fortunate to have the lockdown really as it meant we were all at home. It was only ten weeks from his diagnosis that dad passed away, but we did get to have Christmas with him and it was also my 21st in December, so he was there for my birthday too.
‘I remember on Christmas Eve, dad took a turn for the worse and a Sue Ryder nurse came out who was also absolutely fantastic. She was just so honest and reassuring.’
Martin died at home on Monday 18 January 2021 with his family by his side.
Funding also helps Sue Ryder to continue providing specialist care at Leckhampton Court Hospice, Gloucestershire’s only palliative care unit – as well as to people in need out in the community.
Hospices are currently facing immense pressures after government underinvestment, paired with workforce shortages and an ageing population meaning that the sector is under significant strain.
And while Sue Ryder sadly can’t give a person more time at the end of their life, the charity works hard to make that time better by allowing people the choice of where to spend their last days; by providing expert, compassionate care; and by supporting the patient’s loved ones every step of the way.
For more information, and to support Sue Ryder, visit sueryder.org/donate/winter-appeal.
