As a nurse on ellenor’s Inpatient Ward, I consider Christmas to be a very moving and special time. Whilst I’m focused on providing my patients with the best possible care, I also work together with their family and friends to give every patient the Christmas they deserve, knowing that this could be their last.
At this time of year, I find it particularly heartbreaking that 1 in 4 people don’t receive specialist end of life care. Everyone should have access to the kind of expert support we provide at ellenor.
That’s certainly true for Gail, a wonderful woman who’s currently under my care.
Gail has given me the honour of sharing her story with you today. It’s likely that, by the time you read this, she’ll have reached the end of her life. So, this letter is — in her own words — a legacy for her beloved family and local community, this Christmas.
When Gail was diagnosed with cancer in February, at the age of 66, she was told that she had just months to live. Her husband and children were devastated. “When I told my son, I’d never seen him cry so much,” she admits. “It was heart-breaking to see my grown-up son fall apart.”
Sadly, Gail’s cancer progressed very quickly, and she knew she needed help to cope with the tough weeks to come. At the most difficult moment in her life, she picked up the phone and reached out to us, at ellenor. We’ve been by her side ever since, thanks to you.
“From the moment I came to the Inpatient Ward, everyone at ellenor has come together to look after me,” says Gail. “The nurses make me feel as comfortable as possible, wash me every day, and give me wonderful food. More than that, they’re giving me something invaluable — the chance to spend precious time with my family, who can stay with me here, day and night.”
Your generosity means we can come together for patients, like Gail, when they desperately need us. Will you donate today so that we can continue to provide our specialist care this Christmas?
When the time comes, Gail wants to feel at home and be surrounded by her loved ones. “I don’t want to die in hospital with big white walls and no windows,” Gail explains. “But here, at ellenor’s hospice, I can open my door every day. I can see the garden and breathe in fresh air and that counts for so much in these final weeks. I want to spend my last days with my family and that’s made possible here.”
