In the second week of the Give Your Quid campaign, a grandmother shows the importance of St Raphael’s Hospice.
Josephine Marshall, a 76-year-old widow, lives alone in Sutton. She has two daughters who live a few hours away and one in Epsom she sees once a week.
Mrs Marshall had breast cancer seven years ago and had a lumpectomy. She now suffers from cancer related myotis which leaves her with a rash and she has to take chemo tablets to try and treat the cancer.
Mrs Marshall, said attending St Raphael’s Hospices day-care centre once a week made her feel human again.
She said: "We know we’re going to die sometime, but don’t dwell on it. The Hospice gives us that bit of confidence. We can fight it off for a bit."
Mrs Marshall has learnt several new skills at the day-care centre such as arts and crafts and painting.
She said: "It’s therapeutic - we paint on porcelain plates or mugs and then the instructor fires them in a kiln.
"My grand-daughter is getting married so I painted a plate with the date of the wedding with a heart in the middle with butterflies, fairies and hearts all over it; Amy and Terry July 2012.
"They’ll be getting married in the UK, but if anything happens to me, they can have it as my wedding gift."
For Mrs Marshall, one of the benefits of St Raphael’s Hospice’s day-care centre is that she meets people she can relate to who are in a similar boat to her.
She said: "With the word ‘Hospice’, the word ‘death’ comes into your head, but if you visit St Raphael’s, it’s not like that."
A volunteer driver from St Raphael’s picks her up and takes her home every week.
When she arrives she gets a hot drink, has a sit down and a chat.
A community nurse from St Raphael’s also visits her every fortnight.
The nurse will help her with anything she needs including getting her in and out of the bath.
Donate online at justgiving.com/giveyourquidappeal Or text STRH25, followed by £1, £2, £5 or £10, to 70070.
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