Jade Chivers – a daughter’s story
“St Elizabeth Hospice’s care makes a huge difference to people facing life’s toughest moments, as well as to their families, through holistic support which meets both clinical and wellbeing needs.
“Everyone we met at the hospice genuinely wanted to make a difference, and they did. They always had time to talk and help mum and our family in any way they could,” said Jade Chivers, whose mum, Vikki Hubbard, received support from the St Elizabeth Hospice and East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH) healthcare partnership, at Beccles Hospital, until her death aged 58, in July 2025.
Since launching in April 2019, more than 7,000 patients and their families in Great Yarmouth and Waveney have been supported by the free specialist palliative care provided by the partnership of St Elizabeth Hospice and ECCH.
Typically living with conditions such as cancer, heart failure, chronic lung diseases – such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – and neurological disorders, these patients have received free care through the partnership’s varied, specialist palliative care provision available at Beccles Hospital, in the community and through the service’s 24-hour advice line, OneCall.
“Mum was incredibly loving, fiercely loyal and always there for her family, especially her 14 grandchildren, who said she gave the best hugs.
“She worked hard throughout her life, had a wonderfully dark sense of humour and was just an all-round great person.
“She loved reading, arts and crafts, gardening, travelling and motorbike racing, and was affectionately nicknamed “Nana Resin” by the grandchildren because of her talent for making resin items,” explained Jade, who is from Lowestoft.
“In January 2025, Mum became unwell with jaundice and attended hospital. Initially, gallstones were suspected, but after further tests we were told, in February, that she had incurable stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
“Although devastated, we stayed hopeful and even began planning a bucket list together. Then, in March, our world was torn apart when we were told Mum likely had only six months to live.
“She tried everything possible for more time and never gave up hope, facing everything with her amazing sense of humour.
“Shortly afterwards, Mum came under the care of St Elizabeth Hospice in May, receiving pain management support at their Inpatient Unit beds at Beccles Hospital.
“From the moment we met these heroes disguised as doctors and nurses, we felt supported and cared for.
“To them, Mum was never just a diagnosis. She was a person. They made her feel valued and in control of her illness. The hospice team were just incredible, and they made the Inpatient Unit at Beccles Hospital feel like a home from home.
“I honestly don’t think we would have been able to make so many special memories with Mum in those final months without the hospice team making her as comfortable as possible and doing everything they could to support her.
“Without them I don’t think we would have been able to achieve things on Mum’s bucket list, such as seeing Robbie Williams in concert (see video below), which we called ‘Operation Robbie’. This meant the world to us all and a real dream realised.
“Over the following months, they supported Mum and the whole family every step of the way, helping Mum manage her pain and treating her with dignity, compassion and respect right through to her final days
“The emotional support, provided by the hospice, was invaluable too. Even after Mum died, the team checked in with my stepdad to make sure he was coping and to offer support with the practical things as well.
“All of this amazing care inspired us to fundraise and give back to the hospice in Mum’s memory, which is why my brother Nathan and I will be doing a skydive for the hospice on 12 June.
“The skydive will be exactly a year after we ticked off one of Mum’s bucket list wishes, a helicopter ride from Beccles in 2025.
“Mum couldn’t skydive at the time because of her condition, but Nathan and I went up with her, while my sister Carley, who has a fear of heights, supported us firmly from the ground.
“Before the flight, we joked in our family group chat that we were going to throw Nathan out of the helicopter, which became a running family joke.
“When we saw this skydive was on the same date, it felt like the perfect way to remember Mum, while raising money for the people whose care made those special memories possible.
“Ahead of the skydive, we are both a little nervous but also excited. It has been a tough year emotionally for us, and as Mum’s first anniversary approaches, things are becoming harder again.
“It feels important to channel those feelings into something positive, and we are very grateful for any donations to support our challenge and the hospice’s vital care.
“As a family, we are so pleased to hear the hospice’s plans to build a community hospice in Gorleston.
“Having a purpose-built hospice will make a huge difference, as more people will be able to access support closer to home. We were fortunate that we could drive, but travelling from places like Caister to Beccles, for instance, could be difficult for many families.
“I also think it will help people living with incurable illnesses feel more in control of their care and their lives, which means so much when facing a diagnosis that cannot be cured.”