Mark's story
Mark’s brother James was diagnosed with cancer in his spine at the age of 25. When it got to the point where there was nothing more the doctors could do for him, he was referred to Sue Ryder. He died at the Sue Ryder Hospice in Reading in 2017.
Mark, 39, says, “James moved in with me and my family, then a Sue Ryder Nurse from the Hospice at Home team came to visit us. It was very difficult for all of us, but from day one she was amazing. James had a wish list of things he wanted to do, including going abroad to watch some football matches and going on a cruise with all of his friends. The nurse was heavily involved in making it all happen, making sure he had any medication he needed, organising his medical notice to go abroad and arranging for him to have a blood transfusion if his platelets were low.
“James wanted to stay at home for as long as possible, but it got to the point where it was too difficult and going into the hospice would make things a lot easier for him. He was in the hospice for about a week, and I was there every second of the day.
“James actually passed away on my daughter’s birthday and that morning the nurses organised for a cake to be brought in so he could sing happy birthday to her with us. That always sticks in my mind as they went that extra mile and helped him to have that special memory on his final day. I think most people assume hospices are for older people, but they also care for patients who are younger than me and my friends. People forget about hospices until they need them and it’s so important that people know about all the amazing care they provide.”