The shorter story

I’m going to climb the highest point in North Africa, Mount Toubkal, to raise much needed funds for St Barnabas Hospice. The team at St Barnabas provide unbelievable palliative and end-of-life care to adults living with a life-limiting or terminal illness and also do amazing work supporting the families of those with these illnesses. St Barnabas are such a worthy charity and need every penny to support the superb care they give.

Please help by sponsoring me on this challenge!

The longer story

In 2019 I got to experience, first-hand, the work of St Barnabas when my sister, Anne, was admitted to the Nettleham Road InPatient Unit. Having put up an exceptionally brave fight against bowel cancer since 2017, Anne was initially admitted to St Barnabas for a week or so in the summer of 2019 to allow the medical teams to give her some intense care and get her pain management under control. Unfortunately, Anne’s condition deteriorated over the following few weeks and, after a while, it became clear that the likelihood of her coming home had gone. In the final few days, Anne developed a kidney infection and despite every effort made by the medical team, all the treatments that were tried didn’t help and on the morning of the 24th July, Anne, very quietly and gracefully, passed away with me and Mum at her side, aged just 53.

All of the time Anne was in St Barnabas’, she received care and compassion that went far beyond anything we could have wished for; every member of the team could not have done more for Anne and made her so comfortable and calm. Often, cancer can deprive people of their dignity and self-respect but the St Barnabas team ensured this didn’t happen for Anne and gave her every bit of support she needed. The team were also amazing in supporting Anne's children and the rest of our family as we endeavoured to be with Anne and deal with the situation. In the last few days, the St Barnabas team allowed me and Mum to stay overnight so we could be with Anne, and all of the team took such good care of us; an extra blanket, a slice of toast, a cup of tea or a hug was never far away.

St Barnabas can only provide this support by the generosity of charitable donations and so please support me on this quest to climb a mountain for my sister and to raise much needed funds for the crucial compassion St Barnabas give.

Thank you so much x