A Dip in the Cold for Mam
Anna Charlton’s mam lost her battle to cancer on Christmas Day 2019 after a long, hard battle. Anna said, “Alice House Hospice made her short journey more bearable, before she came home to be with her family for her last Christmas.”
Here, Anna tells us about her wonderful mam:
“From a young age it was just me, my mam and my two brothers. As a single parent, my mam always made sure we had everything we wanted and needed.
Every birthday and Christmas, no matter how old we were getting, there would still be a big pile of presents waiting for us to open. From birthdays to Christmases, she’d always make them so special and full of love. These are the memories we treasure forever in our hearts.
We went on amazing family holidays, in and around the UK and abroad, which we will never forget.
My mam was a hard-working woman, one of the reasons we were proud to call her our mam.
My mam was so passionate about her work and ensured she gave the best possible care to each individual that she cared for. She worked in a care home for a number of years, then progressed to working for Macmillan, where she looked after patients on end of life care in the community. This was her job when she was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, after previously having ovarian cancer, which she had to have chemotherapy for and got the all clear.
Little did we know, two years later our lives would be changed forever.
My mam had a short stay in Alice House after coming out of hospital, where she was diagnosed with stage 4 terminal cancer, which spread to her liver.
Despite the excellent care Mam received at Alice House, the cancer was so aggressive that she had to return to hospital for surgical intervention. The intention was that she return to the Hospice following the surgery, but she made the decision to return home to be with her family instead.
The care the staff at Alice House gave my mam was second to none; whatever she needed, somebody was at hand to give her it. It made it more special that one of my mam’s close friends Katherine was a nurse in Alice House Hospice, this made my mam feel even more at home because she knew she was in the best hands. We were always made to feel welcome every day we visited and always felt at home, which made it that little bit easier, knowing my mam was getting the best care. One night, me and my mam had a sleepover in the Hospice, which I will always treasure in my memories of her.
My mam was the rock of our family – no matter what was wrong, she could always pick us back up and put a smile back on our faces.
Seeing her handle so many situations as an only child, losing both of her parents, bringing three kids up on her own and battling depression twice, as well as beating cancer, before she was diagnosed with terminal cancer a few years later.
No matter what life threw at her, she still smiled through it all and this showed how much of a strong-minded woman she was.
People called her a privilege to work alongside, because she had an impact on everybody she met, from social gatherings to having a rant. One thing my mam was well known for was her pink lippy and her infectious smile and will forever be missed by everyone.
Not long after my mam passed, COVID-19 and lockdown hit while we were still trying to come to terms with the loss of our mam; this was a real struggle for us. It was quite a lonely time for us, as we were very limited on what we could do to keep our minds occupied and think of the happier times we all shared together as a family.
Losing our mam left us heartbroken and she will always hold a special place in our hearts. The phrase ‘A mother is a daughter’s best friend,’ is certainly true, because it feels like I have lost a part of me since my mam left. My brothers will forever be grateful for the caring and kind men they have turned into because of my mam. My mam was a nana to two beautiful grandsons, Josh, eleven and Ethan, four. They were the apple of my mam’s eye; she adored her children and grandchildren.”
Anna recently raised over £500 for Alice House in memory of her mam by taking part in the Cold Water Dip Challenge on 4th February, World Cancer Day. Well done and thank you Anna, from everyone at the Hospice. ■