Stephen Baker
In loving memory of Sarah a beautiful soul
Fundraising for St Richard's Hospice Foundation
Story
Sarah was a free spirit with a big heart, she had many beautiful qualities, she was kind, she was caring, she always listened to people, she was interested in everyone, she had a tremendous knowledge about so many things and she could talk to anyone.
She was interested in psychology, mindfulness, self-help and enlightenment, and used her growing knowledge on these subjects to become a calmer, more positive person in later life, she was able to help many people with difficulties they were experiencing in their own lives.
Social media was made for Sarah, she loved nothing more than to call or text, not just chit- chat but little pictures and photos that she knew would give us the knowledge that she was thinking of us, and all from her sofa.
Sarah was beautiful, always well-dressed showing her great sense of style, always with the latest colours and trends. She was accomplished and artistic. Her interior design flare to decorate her homes was noticeable in the colours, quirky mementos and personal touches. Hours scouring the internet for inspiration was par for the course.
Many people didn't realise she was fluent in french both written and spoken, France was a big part of her life and she lived in Paris several times in her younger years. If you were ever lucky enough to hear her speak the language you would think she was french.
Sarah had an unwavering love of animals, and in particular, cats and dogs. Her pets were very dear to her heart.
Since her diagnosis exactly 12 months to the day of her passing, Friday 13th December, Sarah touched the lives of the people who looked after her, and in particular the nurses and staff at Cheltenham Cancer Unit, Knightwick GP Surgery and the District nurses who work out of there, and of course St Richard’s Hospice, an organisation like so many in this country that are funded predominately by the generosity of people making donations.
Sarah met the treatment challenges with all the bravery and courage one could ask for and the staff were instrumental in helping her fight the battle. The level of care, compassion and kindness provided by everyone during her journey is nothing short of incredible.
Sarah always believed this was part of her journey in this world and had made peace with that. Her spirit is now free to re-join the universe and she promised to one day find her way back to us, bringing with her a little bag of fairy dust, to sprinkle on all the people she loved.
Tribute from her father.
My commentary starts in July 2018 when Sarah and Steve moved to their current home, the converted barn at Old House Farm, Martley. They found that they like being country dwellers and were looking forward to putting down deeper roots and enjoying the views and the natural world on their doorstep.
But Sarah had been feeling off colour for a while and in December got news that turned their world upside down. After tests she was given the shocking diagnosis that she had cancer of the peritoneum – an extremely rare cancer and a grade 4 tumour (the worst). And an even more shocking prognosis that life might now be measured in months rather than years! Just imagine how she must have felt.
If chemotherapy treatment worked then she had a chance. If it did not, then there was no effective treatment with conventional medicine and no realistic hope. Similar in many ways to pancreatic cancer which has proved itself a relentless killer even if not first time round.
2019 was a very difficult year for Sarah and for Steve who supported her fully and did all he could to ease the burden on her while holding down a new job. Sarah fought bravely from one crisis, and its responsive treatment, to the next. But good outcomes were in very short supply and each incident took its toll of Sarah’s general health and powers of resistance.
Although she was to lose her fight, Sarah never lost her dignity and composure.
I think we all admired her courage and how she handled herself and everything else along the way.
We will miss you so very very much, throughout all our days and in a thousand other ways.
Face the final challenge with your customary courage and optimism.
And in all your endeavours may the wind of good fortune be ever at your back.
Everlasting affection and admiration.
I was, and am, immensely proud of her.
Dearest Sarah, RIP
Daddy
Once the realisation Sarahs treatment had failed we came under the care of St Richards. It is difficult to put into words how amazing the staff are and what a wonderful organisation it is. The compassion and kindness shown by all is quite overwhelming. Although we knew what the final outcome would be, it was more bearable knowing we were being supported by such incredible people.
I wish to thank everyone at St Richards for looking after my beautiful Sarah and also continuing to look after me, helping me through the grief of losing a wonderful human being and the woman I love.
To show my gratitude I want to raise as much money as possible to help fund continued care for others. If Sarah can go through all that pain and treatment to try and live, I can certainly scare myself stupid and be thrown out of a plane at 12000 feet!
Please dig deep and help me achieve my target
Thank you
Steve xxx
Post dive 25th October 2020
Before setting out on this journey, I was the first to scoff “Why would anyone want to jump out of a perfectly working aeroplane?” It made no sense to me.
When the Hospice posted a skydive jump on their Facebook page a few months after losing Sarah, I figured if she could be brave enough to battle her illness with the dignity she did, I could certainly step outside of my comfort zone and be pushed out of a plane at 13000 feet to help raise some money for St Richards.
After a rescheduled jump date due to lockdown and social distancing issues,
I arrived at Hinton Skydiving centre on Sunday morning at 8.00 am along with eleven other eager newbies.
After some legal paperwork and a quick debrief on what to do and when to do it, the initial anxiety started to subside. The instructors were clear and precise, if not comforting in their delivery, even when explaining what happens if the parachute doesn’t open!
8.30 sharp, the first victims were called over the tannoy to present themselves at the manifesting hut for an introduction to your new best friend (instructor) and it was time to get geared up!
Plenty of layers is definitely advisable for an October freefall and gloves too. I considered the wooly hat but was advised against it.
Your instructor puts you into a harness which you quickly become very accustomed too even though you can only walk in a John Wayne style whilst wearing it.
Then the call comes in over the tannoy, it’s time to board the aircraft. Now it’s show time, no backing out now.
The plane is not quite what I’m used too, it’s small and compact with some strange seating plan and no drinks service!
After taking my seat, my new best friend Keith attaches his harness to mine. Now we are linked in a way I never thought possible!
People pack into the plane, it’s cosy but strangely comfortable. Tandem jumpers and solo free fallers mixed together.
Following a short taxi down the runway we turn 180 degrees and were off. It’s fast but smooth, rotate and we are up and climbing. Keith tells me we have around 6 mins of climbing to get to altitude. He runs through the process with me. I listen intently taking it all in like a sponge.
We’re climbing quickly it’s getting close. Before I know it we are 30 seconds out, all of a sudden the door opens and you realise this is the first time I have ever been on a plane with the door open!
Then the qualified guys and girls start leaving the plane in spectacular fashion. Now it’s our turn and we shuffle down to the open door. I’m reassured by Keith, although he said we would sit in the door way, what he meant to say is, he sits in the door and I hang outside the plane attached by the nylon strapping and four anchor points.
Arms folded, legs under the plane and head back.........and I’m falling no time to think, we’re doing it. I look up to see the plane disappearing in the distance.
A tap on the shoulder and I remember my training, arms out and now I’m skydiving. The wind noise and speed is incredible, Im looking at a man in front of me filming its surreal I can almost touch him. I’m having so much fun travelling at 120mph I forget lesson three, fold your arms back in on the next shoulder tap, and all of a sudden I’m lifted into the air and everything goes silent. Wow the view, and we are flying again, but it’s slower and calmer. I underestimated the time available to slowly float back to earth. I’m handed the controls and told to steer the parachute with a pull on the toggles and we are heading towards the airfield, it’s so responsive. Final instructions are given, lift my legs on the last turn and keep them up. (Need to work on my core)
And we come into a lovely soft landing.
I’m overwhelmed with adrenaline and buzzing from the experience, it’s just the best high ever. I’m feeling emotional as I think about why and who I’m doing this for. Two of my daughters and my 5 week old grand daughter Olivia are there to support me. A group hug and we are all tearful remembering Sarah.
Will Smith famously said “The best things in life are the other side of fear”
He is so right, when you leave the plane at the point of maximum danger its actually the point of minimum fear.
Do it, don’t be afraid it’s the best thing anyone can do and to raise some money for this wonderful organisation, in memory of your loved one.
I’ve signed up to do the Santa skydive on the 5th December and also inspired my brother to come with me!