Polly Morgan

Polly's fundraiser for St Peter & St James Hospice

Fundraising for St Peter & St James Hospice

Story

Emily Morgan, known to many as ITV News' Health & Science editor, was my darling older sister, as well as a beloved mother, wife and daughter. In May 2023 she died of a rare and aggressive cancer. Her final few weeks spent at St Peter & St James Hospice did much to mitigate the horror of her unexpected diagnosis and the preceding weeks spent in great pain and fear.

It was a hard lesson in the heroic work the - mostly voluntary - staff do in hospices all over the country and in how crucial fundraising is to keep them going so they might be there for us when our time comes.

She had only been diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer six weeks previously. Her death came so rapidly none of us had time to reflect or prepare, we reacted instinctively to each fresh horror and, once she was admitted to hospital, lucid but horribly unwell, we faced the very real fear she would die alone outside of visiting hours, her loving family helpless at home.

Thanks to St Peter and St James Hospice, who welcomed her with just an hours notice, we had an unexpected reprieve. Emily who, on the Friday she was admitted, hadn’t been expected to outlive the weekend, lived on another fortnight thanks to their patient-centred approach. She was finally pain free and able to spend her last days surrounded by the people she loved and who loved her. Her children, husband, friends, sister Sophie, our mother and I were embraced as she was and experienced the nearest thing to a final family holiday; clustered on rugs outside her open French windows, food provided by their kitchen, pull-down beds to sleep over with her and compassionate staff to talk to when we needed.

To learn that over 75% of those staff are volunteers and 87% of their funding comes from fundraising has been profoundly affecting. I will never be able to thank them enough for selflessly steering us through the roughest of waters. What I can do is what Emily would have done had she reached solid ground and run a marathon to raise awareness of the magnificent people behind hospices and funds to help this particular one to continue in its vital work.

Emily took the responsibility of being Health and Science editor for ITV news seriously, sacrificing time home with her family during lockdowns to risk her own health by reporting from the frontline. She was the first UK reporter in a Covid ward and remained committed to the viewers who, we are told, came to rely on her sensitive and informed coverage.

I urge you to please give whatever you can afford to thank her for her own sacrifice and to make a real difference to other families who have yet to go through what we have. The nature of the end, when it comes, matters. It is in all our interests to support hospices however we are able.

Thank you for every penny given.

OBITUARY BY TOM BRADBY ON ITV NEWS