A DAUGHTER who lost her mum to cancer has spoken about the ‘amazing’ hospice which supported her family.
Avril Gear had to undergo treatment for pancreatic cancer, which took its toll on her confidence and left her not wanting to leave the house.
But after being referred to Myton’s Warwick Day Hospice, the grandmother from Radford Semele began to come out of her shell, making new friends and talking about her illness.
Daughter Jackie and granddaughter Tasha – who Avril referred to as the A-Team – have decided to share their story to raise awareness about National Hospice Care Week, which runs until Sunday (October 11).
Jackie said: “Mum loved the day hospice. She was able to have her hair done and they helped her sort out a hair piece which gave her back her confidence to go out.
“My mum was a very private lady who kept herself to herself. She didn’t talk about how she was feeling or what was happening to her and I never saw her cry so I think it helped her to be at Myton with people in the same position and that she could talk to about how she was feeling.”
The family say they were also supported through Avril’s illness, and were kept informed about her health and how she had been on each visit.
As Avril’s condition deteriorated she was admitted to the hospice, before losing her battle with the illness in October aged 77.
Since then Jackie has been volunteering and sharing her story to try and raise awareness about the hospice.
She said: “I knew Myton existed but until you see it for yourself you don’t know how much they do and how they support the whole family.
“I don’t know how we as a family would have got through the most difficult time as a family without Myton.”
Hospice CEO Kate Lee said they were using Hospice Care Week to try to alleviate some of the fear and misconceptions people had about the service.
She added “There is never an easy time to talk about terminal illness and end of life care, but this week is a great chance for us to raise awareness and dispel some of the preconceptions surrounding this emotive subject.”
Visit www.mytonhospice.org to find out more.
