When Jean Owens’ husband, John, became too ill with bowel cancer to get out of bed, District Nurses referred him to the Marie Curie Hospice in Liverpool. Jean describes the care he received at the hospice as “fantastic.”
She said: “I can’t thank them enough for all they did. They treated him as if he were their own father.”
And it wasn’t just John who was supported by the hospice team.
Jean said: “They took care of us all. We had weekly meetings with the staff there and nothing was too much trouble.
“During John’s last hours a nurse explained to us how he would breathe at the end. That was a marvellous thing to know so we weren’t afraid and we knew when we were in his last moments.
“We were all there when he died. Me, my two daughters and his sister. We talked to him until the end and it was so peaceful.”
A few months later Jean took advantage of the hospice’s bereavement service. She said: “I felt I needed to speak with someone outside the family about John. Chris, my counsellor, explained different forms of grief to me which really helped me come to terms with how I was feeling.
“The quality of care John received and the ongoing support of Marie Curie Cancer Care has had a big impact on the family, who are now all involved in raising money for the charity.”
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