“I thought the hospice was somewhere you go to die”

Those were the words I overheard when I first met patient, Josie Armstrong, earlier this year. Her words stopped me in my tracks. When youʼve been a nurse at The Prince of Wales Hospice as long as I have, you sometimes forget thatʼs what people think.

Josie is a fiercely independent woman and was reluctant to accept the support of the hospice when her cancer of the oesophagus and lung was diagnosed as terminal three years ago. Looking back, she's glad she did.

Josie was suffering at home with medication that wasnʼt working properly. She kept collapsing, which frightened herself and her family, and she was repeatedly admitted to hospital for that and the pain in her chest and lungs.

Thankfully Josie was referred to the hospice. She stayed in a bedroom on our ward and was seen regularly by the hospice doctors, who are specialists in caring for people with illnesses that are terminal or life-limiting.

They fully reviewed her medication to control her symptoms, including the pain when she took a breath or swallowed. Around-the-clock nursing care, rest and nutritious food allowed Josie to rebuild her strength.

After just two weeks, Josie was able to return home to her husband Bill, stronger and in less pain, living as well as her cancer allowed.

Itʼs awful to think how Josie might have suffered without the care of the hospice. But we know there are more people like her; people from your street or village, people who may be struggling as she was after they have been diagnosed with cancer, heart failure, chronic lung disease, Motor Neurone Disease or another life limiting illness.

We need your help to reach these people, because the fact is that 3 out of every 4 local patients like Josie are cared for by donations from people like you.

Although Josie is now staying at home, weʼre still there for her.

Like many of the people we care for, her illness means she has good days and bad days. Her husband works full-time so her son, who lives with them, helps to look after her. She said to me, “I try to do as much as I can - but sometimes itʼs just not possible.”

Josie visits day hospice once a week and says itʼs good to get out and see people. She likes to put the world to rights with other patients and get involved in the creative activities as part of a group. She knows she can see a specialist doctor or nurse if she needs to. We took it as a great compliment when Josie said, “If I canʼt be at home, I know this is the place I want to be to die with dignity.”

Josie now knows the hospice isnʼt somewhere you go to die - itʼs somewhere she goes to live as well as she possibly can with her illness.

Your support is what makes care for people like Josie possible. But we know as well as anyone that times are tough. That's why we're not asking for a big donation. Youʼll see on the form with this letter that even a small donation can make a difference. For just the price of a couple of drinks, you can give care to local people like Josie.

Please will you pledge a small, but regular gift, once a month, to care for local people battling cancer or another life-limiting illness?
Your regular gift will help us stabilise the condition of people like Josie while they stay on our ward. Your regular gift will help us support Josie, Bill and the rest of the family as her illness progresses. And your regular gift will help us care for Josie if she finds herself unable to stay at home at the end of her battle with cancer.

Little by little, pound by pound you can help us keep caring for local people like Josie. Click here to make a small, monthly donation to The Prince of Wales Hospice.

Thank you for your kindness,

Jeanette Wales
Auxillary Nurse at The Prince of Wales Hospice