On 3rd July 2015, after 2 months of going backwards and
forwards to the doctors, my Grandad, Len, was diagnosed with Lung cancer with
secondaries on his spine. This news was devastating both to him and to all the
family and, at the time, was the worst news any of us could have ever imagined.

He was told he would have 6 months, and make it to see the
birth of his great granddaughter in December. However, after 4 weeks in and out
of hospital, and then 2 weeks in Salisbury Hospice, he passed away on 15^th
August 2015, much sooner than any of us thought.

The care in Salisbury Hospice was impeccable, and even he
himself said they always gave 110% and could not fault them in any way. We
truly felt he had the best care he could have had in Salisbury Hospice, right
up until the end, however it was still heart-breaking to see him go.

After this, I wanted to do something to thank Salisbury
Hospice, and as they are a charity running mainly on donations, I decided to
run a coffee morning on 19^th September 2015. The coffee morning was
a complete success and after so many generous donations, over £1700 was raised!

A few months later, after still coming to terms with the
death of my grandad and many trips to the doctors, on 16^th December
2015 my mum was sent into hospital. After many scans it was confirmed that the
horrible disease had returned again. My mum was diagnosed with stage 4 Lung
Cancer which had spread to her liver and her brain. This came as such a shock
to us all and made us realise that this WAS the worst news we could have ever
imagined!

Mum had both a bronchoscopy and Liver Biopsy to determine
what type of Lung Cancer we were dealing with. In between having these, her
first beautiful granddaughter, Harper Rose, was born on 23^rd
December 2015. She was so happy and proud when of both my sister, Sophie, and
her new grandchild, temporarily putting aside the horrific news she had been
given.

We had a meeting with the oncologist on 13^th
January 2016, and although the cancer had spread, we were given the positive
news that treatment was an option, giving her more time! This was only the best
of a bad situation but kept us all, especially mum, in good spirits. She was
prepared to take whatever was on offer to help her fight this horrible disease
until the end.   Less than a week later she went up to
Southampton Hospital to have her mask fitted for radiotherapy on the brain
tumours. However the following day, 19^th January, she was, yet
again, admitted to hospital in agony. Although she was in hospital, we had been
picking her up and taking her to her radiotherapy treatments in Southampton, as
she was determined to start it as soon as possible. She received 3 out of 5 treatments,
but was too ill to finish.

On 27^th January, the oncologist came round to see
mum in hospital; she had been given scans a few days before to establish what
was causing the pain. He told us it wasn’t good news, he had never seen this
happen before in his whole 20 years of being an oncologist, but the cancer had
spread throughout her abdomen and mum was now looking at only weeks to live.

She was so brave after receiving this news, and straight away
took charge, demanding that she go into the Salisbury Hospice. Mum managed to
get a room in the hospice on 31^st January, only days after receiving
the dreadful news. Again the care in Salisbury Hospice was marvellous and they
were there when mum needed them the most. The wicked cancer took mum immeasurably
sooner than any of us could have ever imagined, and she passed was on 4^th
February 2016 with me by her side.

This dreadful horrible disease has now taken two of the most
important people in my life and I want to support Roy Castle Lung Cancer
foundation, helping to find a cure so that no one else has to go through the
heart ache that our family and friends have endured.