Your Spring Newsletter! Thank you for helping care and support bloom across the country
Spring is such a special time of year. Beautiful daffodils bloom into life, turning gardens, parks and footpaths across the country into a sea of yellow.
There’s one thing that makes us smile even more than seeing daffodils burst into life – our amazing Weekly Lottery community!
Your support is so vital, because at the moment in the UK one in four people don’t get the end of life care they deserve. But every week you are there, helping Marie Curie Nurses and Healthcare Assistants reach more families, making more loved ones comfortable and helping more people die with dignity.
Thank you for your ongoing support, and for caring when there is no cure.
A caring team of STARS Marie Curie is a partner in STARS (Supportive and End of Life Care Service) in Liverpool. When Helen was diagnosed with cancer, the team’s support helped her spend her last weeks at home. Helen’s husband, Peter, and daughter, Pauline, remember the relief Marie Curie’s Nurses brought at such a difficult time.
“Before Mum was diagnosed with cancer, she was a very independent person,” says Pauline. However, after an operation due to cancer spreading to her thigh bones, Helen’s strength, mobility and confidence all deteriorated.
Peter and Pauline cared for her so that she didn’t have to go into hospital, but found it both physically and mentally exhausting. “We were desperate to get someone to help,” says Peter.
Vital support at the toughest of times.
Marie Curie Nurses visited the family and arranged for specialist equipment to be brought in to help. Helen was given a special bed which could be raised and lowered, and the nurses helped her to bathe and brush her hair and teeth.
“Then we were offered night-time care, just a bit of relief, which really helped, because up until then we weren’t sleeping,” remembers Pauline. The support meant Peter and Pauline were able to focus on the time spent with Helen as family, rather than as carers.
Caring for the entire family
Marie Curie’s support doesn’t stop at the person receiving end of life care. “They were so kind and there for us. Without them, we would not have been able to cope,” says Peter.
The whole family were grateful for the difference they made to Helen. “My dad used to play some piano music to them while they were tending to Mum,” says Pauline.
Providing a peaceful end of life
Helen’s wish was to die peacefully at home, and the Marie Curie Nursing team ensured that happened. “Some people struggle with a lot of agitation because they’re so stressed and anxious, but she took her last breath with all of us around her,” remembers Pauline. “We know that she passed away peacefully.”
“I hope to make the patient feel at peace and comfortable” Edwina is a nurse in the Enhanced Hospice Care at Home team in North London. She talks about how she helps people experience the best end of life possible.
A personal approach to caring
A key part of Edwina’s role is responding to a person’s wishes. “We might have a patient who
loves to be in the garden, so we may move their bed outdoors so they can enjoy being in nature for a while,” she says.
She also helps people keep their pain under control, so they can make the most of the time they have left with loved ones.
“Say a family is visiting at 3pm, we will give pain medication at around 2:30pm or 2:45pm so by the time the family arrives the patient will be able to engage with the family more,” Edwina says.
Supporting the whole family
“Everybody knows Marie Curie is for end of life care,” she says. “But we do so much more– sometimes the patient comes in just for respite care, to give their loved ones a break.”
Illness places a huge amount of stress on family and friends, who want to help but often don’t know how to. Edwina understands just how reassuring a friendly chat, a caring touch or a smile can be.
“It’s nice to see someone smile no matter what, so I always go in with a smiley face – it makes a big difference in a way,” she says.
By playing our Weekly Lottery you ensure more people experience the care they need to have a good end of life.
A friendly face to chat to Amber has been a Companion At Home volunteer since January 2024, after stumbling across an advert.
“I didn’t really know much about Marie Curie at the time, so I did a little bit of research and spoke to my parents about it,” she says. Amber’s grandfather had received end of life care, and her Dad remembered the positive impact it had on the family.
So Amber decided to give it a go and now volunteers with two people living with terminal illness, one of whom loves the great outdoors.
Bonding over common interests
“One of the things I discovered on my first visit was that he loves gardening and he used to be very outdoorsy, going on hikes frequently and tending his garden,” says Amber. “I don’t have my own garden, but I’ve got a lot of house plants – so that’s what we initially bonded over.” Now the pair take trips out to garden centres, meeting up for coffee and cake.
Staying in touch
As well as somebody to chat with, Amber also helps with more practical things. “He’s got two sons and two granddaughters who use a family group chat,” she says. So Amber taught him how to use WhatsApp so he can stay connected with his family. Since starting volunteering, Amber hasn’t looked back. “Each visit, I see the difference I’m making.”