“The support St Elizabeth Hospice gave, made such a difference to our family, when they provided care to both my Mum and my Dad,” said Keri-Ann Plaskett, from Nottingham, whose parents, Colin and Valerie Doyle, both received support from St Elizabeth Hospice in 2023.
Annually, St Elizabeth Hospice cares for more than 4,000 patients and their families throughout East Suffolk, Great Yarmouth and Waveney. This care sees the independent Suffolk charity providing free services – whenever and wherever it is needed, whether at home, in the community or at the hospice – to those living with a progressive or life-limiting illness.
“Dad had been diagnosed with incurable cancer in the July and was in hospital for five weeks before he went home,” explains Keri-Ann, who herself is a specialist nurse.
“Through my role as a nurse, I was able to help administer medication and pain relief to Dad at his home – which was his wish – with the hospice staff providing me with guidance throughout.
“We made great use of the hospice’s 24/7 phone line, OneCall, which was a fantastic support network for us if ever we had a question or I needed further advice.
“The St Elizabeth Hospice team were brilliant with providing guidance on dosages and ensuring I had the necessary equipment Dad needed, to enable us to achieve his wish to die at home, with his loved ones beside him, and we will always be grateful to them for this.
“Mum actually became ill two days before Dad died. Initially she went into hospital for care, but within two weeks of Dad’s death, in September, she came to St Elizabeth Hospice’s inpatient unit after being diagnosed with inoperable bowel cancer.
“A big thing for Mum at the hospice, was the fact her friends could come and visit, which was great for her wellbeing. Both my parents loved gardening, so Mum also loved seeing the hospice garden and thought volunteer gardeners were all fantastic.
“Also, being cared for at the hospice, meant I could be Mum’s daughter and not her nurse, which was important to her. I think she was very conscious of what we’d just been through and knew what we were about to go through, in such short space of time, and felt it was the last thing she could do to help me.
“As well as this, my two children – Thomas and Oliver – were able to come see Mum and we were able to utilise the hospice’s Family Room too.
“The hospice’s Family Room was a fantastic space for the boys, providing a place of calm and normality and where they were able to use the games console and other games and books. While they also loved going in the garden, feeding the hospice fish and enjoying the scones at Moments Dining Room at the hospice.
“During this time, my husband Andrew had to stay in Nottingham to be near his own Dad, who also died in November 2023.
“For me, being away from our home in Nottingham, with the boys and not having local family to support us in Ipswich, having the Family Room and the all-round kindness of the hospice staff and volunteers made such a difference.
“As we were away from home and wanted to be there for Mum as much as possible, simple kind actions like helping me with my washing, made our lives so much easier, during what was a difficult time.
“The human touches of the whole hospice team really stood out, alongside their compassionate care.
“From making lots of cups of tea for us, bringing us breakfast in the family room on the day of Dad’s direct cremation, allowing the family dog (Poppy) to visit, through to ensuring Mum always had fresh flowers and that her hair looked good.
“They always saw Mum as a woman whose husband had died only days before and not just as a patient herself. They understood, as a family, we were dealing emotionally and practically with Dad’s death at same time as Mum’s diagnosis and death (in November 2023).
“By supporting St Elizabeth Hospice, you will be helping families similar to my own, during very difficult times in their lives, receive the care and support they need, when help matters most.”