Lisa and Stu’s story

From the moment I married my husband, Stu, it was always us against the world.

We were a happy pair, focused on giving our four wonderful children the best possible life.

But when Stu was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer at the age of 42, I suddenly felt very alone. I just couldn’t imagine life without him.

Prospect Hospice was there for my family during the darkest of times. They wrapped a loving arm around us then, and they’ve been by our side ever since.

Stu was an incredible husband and devoted dad. He’d do anything for me and the kids. While he coped physically with his gruelling surgeries and cancer treatments, it pained him to think of us all suffering due to his illness.

That’s why turning to Prospect Hospice was the best decision we ever made.

The Prospect team went above and beyond to care for Stu. They quietly swept in to take the strain and they eased his suffering in ways I couldn’t have managed on my own.

Prospect’s exceptional end of life care came as no surprise to us. We’d already witnessed it when Stu’s nan and mum had died at the hospice some years before. But we had no idea how much support Prospect gives to patients’ families too.

The Prospect Hospice team didn’t just care for Stu. They looked after our whole family when we felt lost and isolated. I honestly don’t know how we’d have got through those devastating days without Prospect guiding our way.

One of my boys really struggled with school when Stu’s condition got worse. That’s when Prospect’s family support worker, Dave came into our home. He became like an extension of our family. I’ll always be so grateful.

Over the next few months, Stu became very unwell, very quickly. I’d been speaking to the team at Prospect daily and, when they offered Stu a bed at the hospice, we knew it was the best place for him.

Aside from tending to his every medical need, nothing was too much trouble at the hospice. One of the nurses even researched Stu’s beloved Star Trek so that she could connect with him in his final days. Her compassion blew us away.

When Stu reached the end of his life, I cried at the hospice saying, “It’s always been me and Stu, I don’t think I can do this on my own.”

Before I knew it, Dave was by my side. He had rushed to the hospice to help me prepare the children for their final goodbye with their dad. He was such a source of comfort.

It’s now almost a year since Stu died and Prospect Hospice continues to hold our hand.

I receive bereavement counselling, and the Prospect team are there if any of the kids need support. That long-lasting care has been our safety blanket, giving us the strength we need to come to terms with our grief.