EVH Newsletter Spring 22

More documents

Recommendations

Info

New partnership willprovide boost for JigsawFamilies from Cumbria caring for children and young peoplewith life-limiting illnesses will directly benefit from a major newpartnership between supermarket giant Morrisons and Togetherfor Short Lives.Together for Short Lives is the only charity supporting the UK’schildren’s hospices, including Jigsaw, and this new partnership is setto raise vital funds for us over the next three years. The partnershipofficially launched in February after Morrisons staff chose Together forShort Lives in a vote late last year.Patricia Livsey, Chief Executive at Jigsaw, said: “It is wonderfulnews that Morrisons’ staff chose Together for Short Lives as theirnew charity partner and now the partnership is underway, we’relooking forward to working closely with our local stores over thenext three years.“The awareness and funds raised through this exciting partnershipwill have a direct impact on Jigsaw and help the incredible staffhere continue to deliver amazing care to the children and youngpeople we support.”The funds raised by the partnership will help the amazing Jigsaw team continue to provide love,care and support to those who need it, like Jack, who has a metabolic disorder called NKH and ispart of the Jigsaw family.JackHis mum, Helen, said: “Jack goes to Jigsaw so he can enjoy some time in the sensory room,go for walks and enjoy crafts and baking, whilst we know he is being looked after in a calmand caring environment.“There isn’t anywhere Jack can go as he needs 24-hour care. His needs are very complex sowe have peace of mind that whilst he is at Jigsaw, he has nursing care and it is a very calmand organised setting for him.“We use the time that Jack is at Jigsaw to do activities with his siblings that would notnormally be accessible for us. We enjoy being outdoors and go walking in the fell, paddleboarding and cycling. It gives us a much-needed break with a full night’s sleep knowing thatJack is being so well cared for.”Together for Short Lives CEO, Andy Fletcher, said: “Hearing the news that your child isseriously ill is devastating – families can be left feeling scared and alone. I can’t tell youwhat a difference this amazing new partnership will make for these families. Knowing thatMorrisons colleagues up and down the country are on their side, means the absolute world.”Morrisons CEO, David Potts, said: “Together for Short Lives is an amazing charity whichsupports families through immensely difficult times, and hearing the very important storiesfrom families who have received their support was incredibly moving for everyone atMorrisons. I’m really looking forward to our partnership with Together for Short Lives andhelping to raise vital funds to support families with seriously ill children and the wonderfulhospices that care for them.”8www.edenvalleyhospice.org
It’s the worst time in my life but I onlyhave good memories of this place.When Tony Whalley was made redundant in 1992 itunderstandably came as huge blow. At the time it feltlike this decision would have a profoundly negativeimpact on his life as he struggled to find suitablework in the north west of England. However, littledid he know that it would ultimately lead to himmeeting the love of his life.After the company he worked for in Liverpool closeddown he found a job in Singapore through a formercolleague. It was a new company – a cotton merchants- and Tony went to work there in September 1992taking up the role of operations director.It was here he would first meet Mei Gay, affectionatelyknown as Maggie, who joined the company inDecember of that year to become the managingdirector’s assistant.“On her first day she was told to sit with Tony andlearn the cotton business, so she sat with me andnever moved,” Tony says.Ever since then Tony and Maggie – who was one of fivesiblings born in Kowloon, Hong Kong – were togetherup until she passed away in Eden Valley Hospice inDecember 2020, having married in 1997.After living in Singapore and then Australia, Tony andMaggie moved to the UK in 2017 and in Decembersettled in Clifton, near Penrith. It was Tony’s previousexperiences of walking in the Lakes which attractedthem, believing it would be a nice place to live out theiryears.Tony says: “Those first two or three years werevery pleasant, really relaxed, and then we got thisbombshell.”Maggie was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on April14th, 2020 and after initially deciding to give possiblelife-extending treatment a try, she stopped becauseit was so painful and traumatic. In the months thatfollowed, Maggie began to fade slowly and as shebecame more ill, their attentions turned to how shemight be cared for as things became harder.Tony, who is in his early eighties, adds: “Towards themiddle of December, I had been trying to help her,trying to get to the toilet and one day on the wayback to her bed we just both collapsed. I’d collapsedbecause I hadn’t any energy left and she hadn’t anyenergy either.”It was then that community nurses caring for Maggiesuggested Eden Valley Hospice and a room was turnedaround for her so she could be admitted the next day.Tony explains: “I didn’t know much about the hospice.But right from the start we felt as though the hospicewas putting itself out for Maggie and bringing herin was so easy, there was no difficulty at all, even forme.“The way we were treated, it was so kind, so gentle,so understanding and so compassionate. It was theconstant generosity of spirit of the staff that was soendearing, you just felt as though they all treated heras if she were their own daughter. And they treatedme brilliantly as well, nothing was ever any trouble.“It made such a traumatic situation so easy to livethrough, I am still not over it by any means, I don’tthink I will ever get over it but it made Maggie’spassing gentle.”Maggie sadly died on December 23rd, 2020 aged68. Tony had not stepped a foot back in the hospicebuilding until late 2021 when he came in to make adonation in memory of Maggie, something he’d wantedto do for a long while.“With the hospice offering such wonderful care, itwould be quite wrong to close it down due to lack offunds,” he adds.“It’s the worst time in my life but I only have goodmemories of this place.”MaggieTony WhalleyMaggiewww.jigsawhospice.org9
Page 1 and 2: Hospicenews Spring 2022Registered C
Page 3 and 4: ‘Trish will bemuch missed’A fon
Page 5 and 6: Renovations improve offerfor patien
Page 7: “It gave us the time we probably
Page 11 and 12: www.jigsawhospice.org11
Page 13 and 14: Get involved inour eventsWe’ve go
Page 15 and 16: Make a Will MonthWhen someone leave

EVH Newsletter Spring 22

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?