St Ann’s Hospice is launching their Christmas appeal to raise vital funds to be able to support the patients and families that need them on Christmas Day.
Bernard Whipday is a supporter of St Ann’s Hospice and is an outpatient at the Being You Centre there. Bernard says: “This Christmas I’d be lost without the support of St Ann’s Hospice. I can no longer walk due to breathing difficulties, and I have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at Stage 4 end-of-life.
“I worked at a rubber factory for 18 years, and my doctor suspected that the fumes from the factory had caused this damage to my lungs.
“It fell to my wife Eileen to provide 24-hour care for me at home, and without her, I wouldn’t have survived this far. I couldn’t do anything for myself and felt totally useless. I can’t thank her enough. And I’ll be honest and admit that before starting my treatment at St Ann’s last year, I felt I could no longer go on. I used to wake up and wonder why I was still here.
“St Ann’s Hospice has given me a reason to continue to live. I’d be lost without their support, and I know plenty of patients who feel just like me. The hospice provides all of their services free of charge, but this wouldn’t be possible without the kind donations from our community of supporters.”
Fundraising is essential to the running of the hospice, without your support St Ann’s Hospice would not be able to keep their doors open, as only around one third of their income comes from the NHS.
Your donation, no matter how big or small, is invaluable to St Ann’s and the families that Tia will care for this Christmas.
Tia is a Staff Nurse in the Inpatient Unit at St Ann’s Heald Green hospice. She has put herself forward to work on Christmas Day this year.
“I worked the late shift on Christmas Day in my first year at St Ann’s. The hospice doesn’t close at Christmas – our patients and their loved ones still need us, so we come to work and carry out our duties like any other day.”
“It’s not just about the patients but about making it special for their families and visitors coming into the hospice on Christmas Day.
“It could be their last Christmas together – we want to do everything we can to ensure they have special moments and make lasting memories together.”
Just £5 could help to stock the drinks trolley so inpatients and their families can enjoy a hot drink or festive tipple together this Christmas Day.
For £30 you could pay for Christmas dinner for three inpatients this year who are staying at St Ann’s Hospice over the festive period. For £50 you could buy new toys for the toy box in the play area this Christmas, giving children and their families a place to enjoy together while visiting a loved one.
This Christmas, please donate anything you can to help St Ann’s. It would mean so much to the patients and families who rely on the charity and would be lost without them this Christmas.
Your donation makes a difference. To donate today please call St Ann’s Hospice on 0161 498 3631 or visit www.sah.org.uk/christmasdonate.
