Tom Davis spent a week as a patient at Beaumond House Community Hospice before he passed away.
An appeal has been launched by Beaumond House Hospice, Newark, to cover a £100,000 shortfall in the amount of money it needs to provide its vital services.
The hospice, on London Road, needs more than £1 milion a year to provide palliative care and services for hundreds of patients and their families.
The NHS provides only 40% of that — meaning the rest has been raised by the community.
“We are once again appealing to the incredible kindness and generosity of the local people to help us,” said fundraising manager Cathy Lowe.
Just one example of the wonderful work Beaumond House provides is family man Tom Davis, who spent a week as a patient at Beaumond House Community Hospice before dying there, aged 77.
Tom was initially diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004 but an operation to remove it, followed by treatment, was successful.
But then two years ago he was told he had bladder cancer and secondary cancer in his right lung. This time an operation was not an option.
He spent the next two years having various treatments but by Christmas 2018 he had become really ill.
His wife, Christine, who looked after him, said Tom had lost his appetite and became tired easily.
The Red Cross helped with the loan of equipment but Christine found it increasingly hard to lift Tom into bed and there were four occasions when he fell.
She realised she needed help and after an assessment by a physiotherapist it was felt a hospital bed was required.
While they waited for one to be delivered to their home in Balderton Tom went into Beaumond House for respite care.
A day after his admission Christine was told he had urinary sepsis.
The choice was to transfer him to hospital or for him to remain where he was. His family decided Beaumond House was the best place for Tom.
“They made him really comfortable and nothing was too much trouble,” said Christine.
“We spent a lot of time here and it felt like a home from home.
"We were always made to feel very welcome.”
Christine said it was reassuring to know that Tom was comfortable and getting all the help he needed.
“If it hadn’t been for Beaumond House he would have had to go to hospital but it was so much better that he was able to be at the hospice,” she said.
“I know it really was the best place for him.”
Christine said the staff were extremely caring and very helpful.
“They always had time to talk to us and to answer any questions we had,” she said.
“They were so kind and reassuring.”
Tom died on the afternoon of February 9 with his family by his side.
Donations made by friends and family at Tom’s funeral were given to Beaumond House. Christine has also signed up to the scheme to give a regular monthly donation and is going to join the team of hospice volunteers.
Christine said she and her family were very grateful for the love and care they had all received from everyone at Beaumond House.
“I had heard about Beaumond House and given money to it but I didn’t really know that much about it,” she said.
“But now if anybody was to ask me what they thought about going into Beaumond House I would say don't hesitate. They really look after you."
Read more:
Beaumond House Community Hospice needs more than £1m a year to provide their services.
