Keith spent three weeks on the Inpatient Unit at Barnsley Hospice in September 2025 after living with prostate cancer for the past six years.
Coming into the hospice in tremendous pain, Keith explains how Barnsley Hospice has helped turn his life around, enabling him to return home.
Keith said, “I’ve been in and out of the hospital and been given pain killers and sent home. I couldn’t stand any more pain.
“I was told I was going to be referred to Barnsley Hospice and I thought ‘Oooh, the hospice? Am I ready for Barnsley Hospice?’ The community nurse explained that it was nothing like what you think. I came in here because I hadn’t eaten for four days. I felt like curling up in a ball and not waking up, I was in that much pain.
“I came here and within two days I’d picked up (and) started eating. The staff are absolutely fantastic. These staff have been hand-picked.
“I’ve been here three weeks and today I’m ready to go home. It’s been a fantastic stay. This is not a hospice, this is a five-star hotel, in my opinion.
“The staff are always smiling ‘good morning, good night’. There’s one particular lady, Helen, been looking after me bringing me cups of tea, because I like my tea!”
Keith has always known of Barnsley Hospice’s presence and importance within the community, having fundraised for the hospice back in the 1990s through his workplace, Yorkshire Traction, who have always shown great support to the hospice.
“In the 1990s, my boss was Frank Carter, a lovely boss, me and my brother worked on the buses. They painted a bus up that said ‘Support Barnsley Hospice’. We were asked if we’d like to spend a Saturday doing a bus wash ride with kids and parents. My brother got a little bucket and that day we collected £400. It was great.
“At the time I didn’t realise how important the hospice was because you never think about it if there’s nothing wrong with you, but I tell you now, this Barnsley Hospice is not a hospice, it’s a hotel. It’s absolutely brilliant. It lifted me within two days. I started eating. You get a three-course meal and I’ve definitely put weight on. And now I’m not thinking about curling up in a ball and wanting to end things. I have spoken to the Doctors and my resting place is going to be here at Barnsley Hospice.
“When I get turned round, we’re going to send a nice generous donation to Barnsley Hospice and when my time comes, we’ve no children or anything and when anything happens to us, half of the proceeds will go to Barnsley Hospice and half to the PDSA, that’s how much we appreciate what they’ve done for me. That’s a promise we’re making.
“I’m going to come back in when I’m feeling 100% and bring in a thank you card.”
We would like to thank Keith for sharing his story to help raise awareness of Barnsley Hospice services. If you are a patient or loved one who would like to share their story with us, please get in touch on 01226 244 244 or email marketing@barnsley-hospice.org
You can find out more about services by visiting our services page here.
