Nicola's family have lived in Gravesend since 1978. Her Dad Keith and his brother John were close siblings. When they grew up, got married and had children, their families were close too. So, it was devastating for everyone when John was diagnosed with cancer.
John was grateful to be offered a stay on the ward at the Lion's Hospice as we were known then, back in the early 90’s. But being so much younger than many of the other inpatients and as a father of two small children, John preferred to spend as much time as possible at home. ellenor was there to help ensure John's wishes were met. After two big operations, John was able to recuperate in his own house with the support of ellenor nursing staff. That was something John's wife Marilyn really appreciated too as it gave her some much-needed respite. When it became clear John’s battle with cancer was coming to an end, ellenor was there to support the whole family.
After John died in 1997, many of his extended family felt they wanted to give something back to ellenor - in honour of John and in recognition of the care we had provided. Nicola told me:
“Our family never forgot the care we received from ellenor.”
“My Dad became a volunteer driver, my cousin Jackie became a volunteer receptionist and Uncle John’s wife Marilyn became PA to the then CEO. We felt a part of ellenor’s family and John’s memory drove us all on to keep that connection.”
Nicola started attending ellenor events when she moved back to the area after university and got involved in helping as a volunteer herself, before joining the staff team as a Community Fundraiser. But Nicola came to understand there was another very special way she could support ellenor.
“Through working for ellenor and other charities, I’ve seen the remarkable things people can achieve as a result of their legacy gift. The motto ‘leave the world better than when you arrived’ has always really resonated with me and I’ve made most of my big life decisions around it. That includes writing a Will and choosing to leave a gift to ellenor.”
By leaving a gift in your Will to ellenor now, you become part of the future of our hospice. We understand you will want to make sure family and friends are provided for first but hope you will also consider leaving a gift to us if that feels right for you.
