My name is Anne McClurg and I wanted to share with you how special Christmas is at St Andrew’s Hospice as our family have experienced a Hospice Christmas.

My Mum, Isobel, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October 2012. She was being cared for at home at the start of her illness but when she started to deteriorate, the Community Nurse suggested that Mum should go into St Andrew’s Hospice. After some thought, Mum decided she wanted to go into the Hospice to get her pain under control.

We were a bit unsure of what to expect as we had never been in a hospice before, but as soon as my Mum went through the door, we knew that she had made the right decision to be cared for in her final weeks by the dedicated St Andrew’s staff. Within a short time, Mum’s pain was under control. She enjoyed the reiki sessions; she had never had reiki before. These complementary therapy sessions helped Mum to relax and helped with her pain. They made her more comfortable and content.

As it was almost Christmas, the nurses managed to get Mum out of bed and dressed to attend the Christmas party on the ward. There was even a surprise visit on Christmas Eve from the man himself – Santa! He visited Mum’s bedside, she was delighted! Mum just loved Christmas, all the sparkly decorations and bright lights.

One of the nurses asked my Dad if he wanted to stay and have Christmas Dinner with my Mum. This was such a special moment for my parents, spending quality time together. On New Year’s Day, I had the privilege of having my last New Year’s Day dinner with Mum, this is a memory I will treasure forever. On another occasion, when my brother was celebrating his 40th birthday, the Hospice staff asked if he wanted to stay overnight with our Mum so he could celebrate turning 40 with Mum by his side. It’s all of these small things that the staff arranged that meant so much to us as a family.

In the time that Mum spent in the Hospice, our whole family were looked after so well. The staff always checked in to make sure we were coping with everything. They even arranged for Mum to be moved to a larger room so that all of our family could be together with Mum in her final days.

The care did not stop when Mum died. I attended weekly bereavement counselling at the Hospice following Mum’s passing. These sessions were very helpful to me and helped cement our family’s love and gratitude for St Andrew’s Hospice. My family still get a lot of comfort from attending the Hospice’s annual Light up a Life and Thanksgiving Thistles services. In 2023, we also took part in the Midnight Walk which was great exercise for us all!

As a family, we simply cannot thank the team at St Andrew’s enough for caring for not only our Mum, but for us all.

My family hope that this Christmas will be extra special, and that with your support, patients and families in St Andrew’s Hospice will be able to create memories that will last a lifetime.

Wishing you a peaceful Christmas,

Anne McClurg