A hospice patient and his wife have donated £500 to help buy one of the pigs from the Pigs Gone Wild trail for the charity that are caring for them.
Richard and Debbie Mayhew donated £500 towards the Hog for our Hospice campaign which was launched by the Ipswich Star last week with the aim of raising £5,000 to buy Dr Trott and Nurse Honey-Cured for St Elizabeth Hospice.
Mr Mayhew, 65, of Bramford, has been receiving care in St Elizabeth Hospice’s inpatient unit for four weeks after being moved to the hospice from hospital following a decline in his health.
The farmer was diagnosed with bowel cancer four years ago, which has since spread to his lung and brain. Following intense chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a six hour operation, he and his wife were told things were not looking good.
Mr Mayhew said: “When I first came to the hospice we thought this was it, we didn’t think I’d be going home. Doctors have said it’s a miracle that I’m still here.”
Mrs Mayhew added: “What they have done here has been amazing. When they first mentioned coming here I was a bit apprehensive, thinking it would be quite quiet and sombre here, but it’s full of laughter.”
The local couple made the generous £500 donation at the end of last week after spotting the appeal in the paper.
“We knew we wanted to give something back but after we saw the appeal to buy the pig for the hospice we thought it was a good idea to donate £500 now.
“We know how much it costs for Richard to stay in the inpatient unit, so we wanted to make a donation.
“Our grandson, Jaxon, who is five years old, has also loved seeing the pigs this summer, and was at the Ta Ta Trotters event at the weekend!”
As a farmer, Mr Mayhew has missed his first ever harvest and is full of praise for the people who have helped his family. “Everyone has pitched in, including family and neighbours, they have all been brilliant. It’s been hard for me not to be there, and I’ve missed the smell of the harvest – I’ve had to make do with sitting in the hospice garden and smelling the freshly cut grass!”
They’re hopeful that he will be going home at the end of the week, just in time to celebrate their wedding anniversary.
“My leg muscles have deteriorated and I can’t walk at the moment but the physios here are amazing and I am gradually rebuilding strength.
“When we get home, I will retire and we will move out of our 500 year old house and into a warm, snuggly bungalow to start the rest of our lives together.”
Norman Lloyd, Pigs Gone Wild project manager, said: “We want to thank the Mayhews so much for their generous donation. It helped us through the £2,000 mark and donations are still flooding in from patients, family members, and supporters, from those who have been touched by the hospice, to those who have loved the pig trail!
“We are so grateful to everyone who has donated so far and we really hope we can reach the £5,000 target before 22 September to save our piggy from going to market!”
The Hog for our Hospice campaign currently stands at around £3,000. You can support St Elizabeth Hospice and help leave a lasting legacy of Pigs Gone Wild for the local charity by donating online at https://www.stelizabethhospice.org.uk/about-us/news/news-archive/a-hog-for-our-hospice/