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We provide Hospice care & support to patients and their loved ones living in Kent and East Sussex. Learn more about how we can help you.
Happy memories
“Chris brought joy and fun into my life and into Sam and Alex’s lives. His presence lit up a room with his cheeky, fun approach to life, making everyone feel important and special. We spent our happiest times together in simple ways: dinners out, drinks, days at the beach or just being at home. We never ran out of conversation. We laughed so much, listened to music, danced and made so many silly, happy memories. I feel truly blessed to have gained three fabulous stepchildren and an amazing sister and brother-in-law.”
Caroline, Chris’s sister, remembers a lifetime of moments with him. She was eight years old when he was born at home in Cudham. “I heard him cry for the first time and saw him minutes after he arrived,” she says. “My life changed forever. I had been an only child until then.” She loved helping their mum with him, watching him grow into a kind, cheeky little boy who often got into scrapes with friends. She laughs remembering the time he and two friends helped themselves to their dad’s homemade elderberry wine in the garage and were very much worse for wear afterwards. “Dad did not tell them off. He thought they had suffered enough.”
Personalised support
“Those twelve days meant everything to us. The Hospice did not just care for Chris, they cared for all of us. Nothing was ever too much trouble for them to keep Chris comfortable and pain free, which we are all so grateful for. We could be there and stay overnight, and Chris took comfort from that. He also felt so loved by the staff. That meant more than I can ever explain.”
Caroline felt it too. She had been apprehensive about returning to the Hospice, unsure how it would feel to be back in the place where she had said goodbye. “But it did me good to return,” she says. “It was the same feeling of calm, caring and safety again.” She remembers how staff and volunteers remembered their names, their relationships and welcomed every family member and friend with warmth. “Nothing was too much trouble. They laughed when we did and comforted us when we needed it. Their care was exceptional.”
Giving back
“I knew I wanted to do it for something meaningful,” Alex says. “I wanted it to be something that made a real, touching impact.” And it did. On 10th May Alex ran and the amount of support not only on the day and the amount raised really showed how much Chris was loved.
Just two days after the funeral, Alex took on the fifty-kilometre challenge, surrounded by family. “It was a way to give Chris life again,” he says. “It was a beautiful day. Every step was for him. When it got hard, I thought about what he went through. My pain was nothing compared to his. That kept me going.”
For Alex, the Hospice is now part of that story too. “Hospices are not funded enough,” he says. “Everyone should have the right to come to a Hospice for end-of-life care. The care Chris received made everything so dignified.”
