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Tag Archive for: bereavement

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BLOG: Danielle’s six halves in six weeks in Toby’s memory

A half marathon is a major challenge for the majority of us, however one of our supporters has decided to take on six in six weeks all in memory of her cousin Toby.
Danielle Parkes (or Danni as she is known to many) will be running six different half marathons over six weeks all in memory of her 23-year-old cousin Toby Brann, who died almost a year ago. In his final weeks Toby was cared for by our St Luke’s at home team, giving him the opportunity to make lasting memories with his loved ones, including granting his wish of watching his home team Plymouth Argyle play at home against Ipswich.

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BLOG: For the love of dogs…

At St Luke’s, taking good care of our patients is about paying attention to what really matters to them… and that includes their important relationships with the dogs that share their lives.
Worrying about what will happen to their faithful canine companion can weigh heavily on a patient’s mind in their final days and weeks. Partners, family members or friends are often only too happy to take on a loved one’s pet, but that’s not always possible. That’s when our compassionate teams go above and beyond to help find the right solution. They’ve even been known to adopt a patient’s dog themselves.
Community team specialist health care assistant Marianne Smith stepped in a couple of months ago to find a new owner for patient Christine’s little dog, Roddy. The cute and fluffy white Kokoni had already had a difficult start in life. He was found as a stray puppy on the streets of Cyprus, and he’d been Christine’s loyal pal for around four years.

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BLOG: How Queen’s Nurse Debbie is doing Al proud

When St Luke’s clinical nurse specialist Debbie Hutchinson received her prestigious Queen’s Nurse badge and certificate at a ceremony in London recently, there’s one special person she would have loved to be with her to witness the occasion. Debbie’s late husband, Al, was always 100 per cent behind her ambitions, encouraging her to go for her dreams, and always over the moon when she reached her goals. Knowing that he would have been bursting with pride was one of the main reasons she decided to go through the rigorous assessment process to become a Queen’s Nurse.

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BLOG: Coping at Christmas

Bereavement is hard at any time of year, but the festive season – and Christmas itself -can feel particularly challenging for anyone experiencing grief. No-one understands this more than us. As well as providing specialist end-of-life care for people with terminal illness, we offer their family members bereavement support too.
This week (2-8 December) is National Grief Awareness Week, in association with The Good Grief Trust. The aim of the week is to raise awareness of grief, highlight the support on offer and to normalise conversations around it.

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BLOG: Holiday time at the Compassionate Café

It sounds like the title of one of those feelgood British films about friends and neighbours pulling together to support one another. Think Calendar Girls, The Full Monty or Fisherman’s Friends the Movie.

This scenario features a group of bereaved strangers who meet at the Compassionate Café at their local community hub and agree to one lonely chap’s “silly idea” to go on a seaside coach holiday together.

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BLOG: St Luke’s goes behind the scenes at The Park, our city’s new crematorium

Saying the final goodbye to your loved one after their death is never easy but doing it in a way that is personal to them – and meaningful to you – can make it all the more special and perhaps even a little easier to bear.

Recently, we had the privilege of going behind the scenes at The Park, Plymouth City Council’s new crematorium, before its official opening. Joined by colleagues from our Education team, several St Luke’s nurses took a tour of the state-of-the-art facility, which will provide a calm and comforting space for the people of Plymouth and surrounding areas to remember and pay tribute to their loved ones.

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BLOG: Beth’s Breakwater swim for St Luke’s

A daughters love of the sea and memories of her father paved the way for an inspiring challenge.
Back in July 2022, Beth Tindall-Jones’ father spent his final week at our specialist unit, receiving care after being diagnosed with stomach cancer.
Now, two years on, Beth and her two friends Ellie and Ellen completed the challenging Breakwater swim last weekend in aid of St Luke’s and in memory of Beth’s father.

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BLOG: George’s peak performance!

Halfway up a wild and wet Mount Snowdon, George Fletcher felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to find a little girl aged around seven or eight waiting to hand him a £10 note.
She wasn’t the first or last to approach the 85-year-old from Ivybridge as he embraced the enormous challenge of climbing the highest mountain in Wales, accompanied by his son Marc, and family friend Mark Buckham, to raise funds for St Luke’s.

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BLOG: Ray’s windswept 1,000-mile quest for Toby

Halfway up a wild and wet Mount Snowdon, George Fletcher felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to find a little girl aged around seven or eight waiting to hand him a £10 note.
She wasn’t the first or last to approach the 85-year-old from Ivybridge as he embraced the enormous challenge of climbing the highest mountain in Wales, accompanied by his son Marc, and family friend Mark Buckham, to raise funds for St Luke’s.

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BLOG: Hospice hero celebrates 35 years

As modest as he is kind, Andy Campbell would never describe himself as a ‘hospice hero’, but having reached the milestone of 35 years’ dedicated service with St Luke’s – making him the team’s longest serving current employee – it’s a title that could not be more deserved.

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