My name is Martha. My beloved Grandpa, Alan, received end of life care at St Giles before he died at the hospice. Good end of life care is so important, not only for the patient, but for the whole family too.
Because St Giles was there for us, Grandpa received the best care that anybody could have been given. My Grandpa had been there for me all my life, and it means so much that I was able to be there with him in the last moments of his. It’s the moments together that matter the most.
Grandpa was at the hospice in Whittington for just a week before he died. When he arrived he was able to walk into the hospice, but sadly his condition quickly deteriorated. No matter how unwell Grandpa became, the staff treated him as an individual, not just a patient. They always addressed him directly, treating him with dignity and respect, providing truly personal care.
It’s hard to express just how much Grandpa’s care meant to us as a family. You simply can’t put a price on the love, support and peace of mind that we all received.
We never had to wait for anything – staff knew instinctively that every moment together was so important to us and were so attentive. Whenever Grandpa needed anything, they were always there right away to make sure he was comfortable and cared for. They never made us feel that we were being a burden.
I can’t even imagine what Grandpa’s death would have been like if wasn’t for St Giles. It’s because of people like you that St Giles was able to provide the specialist care Grandpa needed, whilst also giving our family such precious moments together – for that, I am truly grateful.
Every member of staff was a specialist in their field and we trusted them completely. It was so reassuring for us as a family. When we left the hospice we never had to worry – we always knew that Grandpa would be cared for just as attentively and lovingly as though we ourselves were still at his bedside.
Our experience of St Giles is one of total calm and reassurance. You get complete wrap-around compassion, care and support in the most wonderful environment.
The team is devoted to making the most of every moment for every patient, no matter where they are on their journey. There is support at every stage. They are professional all the time – it’s clearly so much more than just a job to them and they really, genuinely care for their patients. It’s inspiring to see.
I absolutely worshipped my Grandpa and the staff understood that and treated him just as our family would’ve wanted. We could concentrate on being with Grandpa until the end, knowing that all his needs were taken care of and, when the time came, we were given all the time we needed to say goodbye to him and begin to grieve.
I’m truly grateful to everyone who supports St Giles. I will forever be indebted to both St Giles and the local community for the outstanding care my Grandpa received.
Having witnessed the work of St Giles first-hand, I now do all that I can to support the hospice, including playing the weekly lottery. I’ll never be able to fully repay them but, by making a regular donation, I can help to make sure that the hospice is there for other families like mine in the future.
I was lucky enough to win the weekly lottery jackpot prize not long after signing up, which was completely unexpected! My Grandpa always wanted to give me a bit of pocket money – even after I’d started earning a wage – and he was worried about whether I had enough money after I’d graduated. I like to think that I won the lottery because my Grandpa is still looking out for me even though he’s no longer here.
It’s vital for the local community to support St Giles; you just never know when you might need their support. Nobody plans on becoming seriously ill, nobody plans on dying, but because of you, St Giles can be there for patients and families when they’re at their most vulnerable.
Please consider supporting today to ensure St Giles can continue to make moments that matter for local families like mine.
Thank you so much.
Martha Davis
Granddaughter of the late Alan Bird, a St Giles Hospice patient
