You helped to give my family

When my mother was diagnosed with MND, we knew that the illness was incurable. It came as such a shock to us as she had led a physical, outdoor life and had always been incredibly fit and healthy.

As she deteriorated and needed more care, I looked after her for 16 months at her home in Pewsey. We always knew that hospice care was a possibility, but we thought that was a while off. Then one day, completely out of the blue, she had a stroke. She was rushed away in an ambulance and our world was turned upside down.

At the hospital, we were told there might be a bed available for her at the hospice. It was all happening so quickly, and we hadn’t expected it, but I can’t tell you what a godsend it was. We had a lot of anxiety but that was all removed as soon as we stepped over the threshold of the hospice in Wroughton. It was like stepping into a sanctuary.

When she was in hospital there was a lot of stress. We can’t blame anyone for that, it’s just a completely different environment. She was in a ward with five other people, with lots of machines beeping and nurses running around day and night. They were doing the best they could, but it all added to the commotion and we felt very out of control. It was totally different at the hospice. She had a room of her own and could lie there in peace and hear the birds singing in the trees. For us, it was even better than her being cared for at home as we had all the reassurance that all the care we might need was right there.

We immediately sensed that we were in the care of compassionate professionals. The whole environment enabled us to concentrate on the important things like being focused emotionally on my mother. We weren’t worried about beeping machines or being interrupted by medical procedures. It felt like a much more sensitive, appropriate and peaceful place for my mother to spend her remaining time. We felt like we’d been given a golden gift.

Our time spent at the hospice has left us with some very special memories. My mother absolutely adored nature and loved being outdoors. Her room looked out onto the stunning gardens that were teeming with wildlife. We’d sit at my mother’s bedside with the patio doors open and watch extraordinary things. The bird feeders were awash with birds; we saw woodpeckers, goldfinches and blue tits feed along with pheasants and even watched as muntjac deer grazed just 15 feet away from us. Nature gathered outside the windows, and, for my outdoorsy mother, it felt almost magical and was incredibly comforting.

The day before my mother passed away we had such beautiful weather that we moved her bed out onto the patio. We sat her up in her bed so she was lying with nature all around her and could listen to the birds singing. The whole experience was extraordinary and we spent all afternoon out there. To be able to give her the opportunity to breathe fresh air and have the sense of nature around her was a real privilege and in stark contrast to our experience of the hospital. I know she couldn’t have wished for a better ending.

For anyone that’s lost a loved one, it’s incredibly hard, but I must say, coming away from the exceptional experience at the hospice made the grieving process a little easier for us, knowing that she had a peaceful transition. It was blissfully tranquil and in keeping with her world. That gives us so much comfort.

To know that all this is provided by a charity is astonishing. It’s only because of wonderful people like you that my mother, Merry, had such a beautiful and peaceful end to her life, supported by the very best expert clinical care. Thank you.