Sarah's special Christmas thank you to St Catherine's Hospice for bereavement support

A Penwortham mother who suffered two bereavements in a year has shared her story to encourage others to support the annual Light Up A Life appeal at St Catherine's Hospice.
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The Lostock Hall charity's annual Christmas lights fundraiser continues throughout December .

Each year Sarah Gunning looks forward to remembering her parents, who died in 2012, through this appeal.

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The mother of two said she's grateful to the hospice for helping her though a difficult time following the bereavements and this is a way to give back.

Sarah Gunning (pictured right) supports the Light Up A Life fundraiser each yearSarah Gunning (pictured right) supports the Light Up A Life fundraiser each year
Sarah Gunning (pictured right) supports the Light Up A Life fundraiser each year

Sarah accessed the hospice's bereavement support service after her parents Maureen and Alan Tetsill both died of cancer, just months apart. She said: "My mum died in January 2012 and my dad died that December; by the summer of 2013 I was extremely low and visited my doctors where I was told there was a waiting list for counselling.

“Not long after I received a letter from St Catherine' s with information of their bereavement group. I spent a few hours every couple of weeks with other people who had lost relatives to illnesses like cancer, and the support from the hospice’s Support Team was just fantastic.

" I wasn’t sure what to expect from the bereavement group and I was a bit nervous the first time I went. The idea of expressing my feelings to strangers seemed daunting but everyone was so welcoming and the support team really put me at ease. I realised that all the feelings that I was experiencing were the same as everyone else in the room, and it was a place where I could express my emotions freely. It was an environment where nobody was judged and everybody got a chance to speak if they wanted to, or to just listen.”

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Her father Alan was also helped by being cared for at home by the charity’s clinical nurse specialists.

Part of the annual light display at St Catherine's Hospice at Lostock HallPart of the annual light display at St Catherine's Hospice at Lostock Hall
Part of the annual light display at St Catherine's Hospice at Lostock Hall

Sarah also supports the hospice's annual Moonlight and Memories Walk. She said: “For me, St Catherine’s is a really special place and the care and attention that the staff give the patients and their families is outstanding. The hospice is a happy place to visit and everyone is made to feel welcome. Light Up A Life is a special way to give back and thank them for their support, whilst also taking time to pay tribute to my parents.”

The hospice says dedications are welcome in memory of anyone, not only those who have experienced the hospice’s specialist care and will help to fund the charity’s ongoing work.

Names of everyone honoured are entered into the Light Up A Life Remembrance Book, which is available to view in The Mill Shop in St Catherine’s Park, Lostock Hall and online in December.

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To make a Light Up A Life dedication or to find out more about the monthly bereavement drop-ins, which are open to anyone see here or at www.stcatherines.co.uk or call 01772 629171.

* The hospice supports hundreds of people through its community Clinical Nurse Specialist team and has a 19-bed in-patient unit. It also runs outpatient clinics at its onsite lymphoedema clinic The Woodside.The hospice also depends on the generosity and efforts of supporters to raise £4m towards its annual £5.8m running costs, with £1.8m provided by the NHS.

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