Your donation could help people like Patricia
Barnsley Hospice is my lifeline – it allows me to be me.
I was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2009. Having served 16 years in the Women’s Royal Naval Services and attached the Royal Marines for 9 years, I have always been an active person, but at times it feels like this disease has taken everything from me.
But when I’m at the hospice, I have a purpose again. It gives me my dignity back and the comradery with the other patients and the healthcare workers makes me feel like I belong to something.
Every week, I attend a group meeting in The Orangery, the hospice’s support and wellbeing service. It is a room filled with people who truly understand what it is like to live with a serious illness. We aren’t just individuals dealing with cancer; many in our group are facing other diverse, life-limiting diseases. The hospice opens its doors widely, ensuring no one has to navigate these tough roads alone. For those two hours, all of my anxieties and worries go away and instead of focusing on what I can’t do, I remember all the things I still can.
Having been in the forces, Christmas has always been a really special time for me. Coming to the hospice has given me a glimmer back of how my life used to be, and they always go above and beyond to make Christmas special for us. A personal highlight is the annual visit from the Barnsley Football Club and having a sing-a-long with Tom Masters on his guitar.
Christmas can be hard, but the hospice helps get me into the spirit and uplifts me. They support my family too, and my sister joins sessions regularly and my late partner also used to come with me. The hospice recognises that serious illness affects the whole family, giving our loved ones a vital space to find their own support and comfort
This time of year is about making memories and spending time with loved ones, and the hospice helps me to do that. Inside those walls, we support each other through the darkest days, but we also share an incredible amount of joy. If you walked past our room, you wouldn’t hear crying – you would hear waves of laughter.
The hospice isn’t a place of sadness. It is a sanctuary of safety, understanding, and friendship. Barnsley Hospice needs your support to make sure people like me aren’t stuck at home struggling alone this Christmas. It makes such a difference to my life and hundreds of other local people’s.
Warmest regards,
