Keeley’s Hospice Story
“Before coming to St Elizabeth Hospice, both Mum and I were worried that it would be a cold and daunting place, where people go to die. However, we quickly learnt from our first step into the hospice reception, that this wasn’t the case at all,” explained 22-year-old, Keeley Gooderham, whose mum, Nicola Gooderham received support from the hospice’s Community and Inpatient Unit teams, before her death aged 51-years-old, on Christmas Day 2022.
“Everybody is so lovely and they all went above and beyond to help Mum and our whole family so much. Letting us see Mum as much as possible, allowing us to stay overnight with her as she didn’t want to be on her own.
“On every level, from the top to the bottom of the charity, everyone is very caring and family-orientated.”
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.
“Mum had lots of energy, enjoyed making people laugh and was always the life of the party. She lived in Woodbridge and for a number of years had her own cleaning business,” said Keeley (pictured right with her mum).
“She loved travelling and would go on many holidays throughout the year, exploring the world with her partner Mark and she absolutely loved going to Malta – where she had lots of friends. In fact, before Mum’s bladder cancer diagnosis in May 2022, they had been making plans to go on a holiday around the world together.
“After Mum’s diagnosis, in the July, she had an operation to remove her bladder and to have a hysterectomy. Initially she recovered well, but after eight weeks she was in agony with a severe pain in her leg.
“She went back to hospital and they discovered the cancer had returned and it was now inoperable. Mum then began a period of radiotherapy and pain management to help her feel more comfortable.
“Mum came home from hospital and my stepdad and I were looking after her as best we could. My auntie suggested we reach out to St Elizabeth Hospice for help, as our grandad had received brilliant care from a hospice in Somerset.
“Following my auntie’s advice, I called St Elizabeth Hospice in the October. I explained we needed help with managing Mum’s pain, as she was really struggling. They organised for a member of the hospice team to come see us at home that day.
“After their visit, they arranged for Mum to stay on the hospice’s Inpatient Unit, in a big single room, to help with her pain management. She was there for five to six weeks. Her room was so nice and we were able to decorate it with personal touches and family photos. Her stay really made a difference in helping making her feel more physically and mentally comfortable.
“The hospice staff did everything for us. They provided physiotherapy services, as well as emotional wellbeing and spiritual support. I would spend so much time at the hospice and the staff were so kind, always making sure I was fed and being so welcoming when I came back from work to see Mum.
“St Elizabeth Hospice’s support took away an element of uncertainty we were experiencing and gave us reassurance. The most important thing the hospice did, was helping me being be my Mum’s daughter again, rather than her carer, and we could relax and be a family once more.
“Mum did come home for a few weeks, however she then came down with a bad infection and went into hospital, where they told us she only had a few weeks to live. We could all see she was going downhill and we all agreed, Mum included, that we would like her to go back to the hospice.
“They managed to get her a bed on the ward at St Elizabeth Hospice’s Inpatient Unit on 23rd December. With Christmas only a few days away, we were really keen for Mum to not be alone and the Inpatient Unit team set a bed up for me so I could sleep close to Mum.
“It was so important to me and Mum that I could be with her and sleep next to her, especially on Christmas Eve. Christmas is a time for families to be together and St Elizabeth Hospice helped make sure our family didn’t have to be apart, despite Mum’s illness.
“On Christmas Day the hospice was full of families visiting their loved ones, exchanging gifts and cards. The hospice team brought us food and drink throughout the day and they even made sure we all had a Christmas dinner; without their kindness our family wouldn’t have had a Christmas dinner or marked the day at all.
“Mum died at 6.29pm on Christmas Day. We all agreed, with Mum being how she was – very outgoing and bubbly – that if she was going to pass at Christmas time, it had to be Christmas Day itself, as she never did things by half.
“We also felt there was no better place, than the hospice, for her to die surrounded by her loved ones and to say ‘goodbye’.
“With Mum’s death, Christmas now has a new meaning for us, as well as new traditions. We still come together as a family to mark Christmas Day, but in 2023 I took part in my first fundraising Christmas Day Dip for St Elizabeth Hospice, at Felixstowe seafront.
“I enjoyed it so much that I plan to do this every year and will be doing the dip again this year with a few of my family and friends.
“The Christmas Day Dip really gives a different start to the day! I found it a great event to be a part of, as you are fundraising for St Elizabeth Hospice, who gave so much to our family, and you are supporting the hospice alongside many people who have been through similar experiences to your own and they understand the important of the hospice and its services.
“In fact, I will also be taking part in the hospice’s Midnight Walk, as well as fundraising for the charity by doing the Ipswich Half Marathon and the London Marathon. I would never have thought of doing things like this before, but it really is the best feeling to challenge yourself, knowing that you are also giving back to an amazing local charity.”
