Daughter’s marathon effort to raise funds for nurses who helped in the “darkest times”

A daughter, who is set to tackle the London Marathon in memory of her dad, has spoken about the help Marie Curie provided in the “darkest times”.

Jo Drinkwater, of Raglan, knows first-hand how the support of Marie Curie Nurses can help the family of someone living with a terminal illness, after she, her sisters and her step-mum were given support to care for her dad at his home. 

And now she has challenged herself to run 26.2 miles in a bid to raise £2,000 for the charity. 

“Just knowing that you were getting somebody to come to sit with through the darkest times, the middle of the night, it’s so hard to sit there and accept this is the person you love but not the person you knew, you are just there to reassure them they are not alone” said Jo, whose dad died at his home in Weston last year, from lung cancer. 

“It’s so hard.  So if we had a Marie Curie nurse coming, it meant that one of us could have a night’s sleep.” 

The 31-year-old said the night her father died, she had returned home because a Marie Curie Nurse was available to help. 

“I am glad they had a nurse there with them, because she knew what was happening,” said Jo, who added that the nurse also helped them with the next stages. 

“Until you’ve been there, you don’t know (what to do) and it is just a really awful situation. 

 “So they were amazing.    Just having someone who had experience and knowledge and how to care for Dad, but how to care for Lizzie as well and you know, just to make sure that everybody knew that what was happening was ok.  It’s all going to be ok, it’s a horrid situation, but it is  happening.   When she walked in, she just brought with her an air of “it’s all going to be ok, you will be fine”.”

Remembering her father, who was in the RAF and later worked for the Fire Service in control, Jo said: “He was very political. A staunch workingman’s hero, he believed in standing up for what he believed was right and not just ‘towing the party line’. 

“He did a lot when we were younger in terms of working with the community.  We lived in Pontypool, and Pontymoile changed drastically when I was little, that huge flyover went up and it took away all our parks, and he did a lot to try and raise awareness of things like that. 

“He was really reserved when it came to talking about himself, which is why we didn’t know quite how severe it was (the cancer), until it was terminal.  He didn’t like to discuss things that would worry us openly.”

To help raise the £2,000, Jo, who is a freelance groom, will be hosting an auction night in Usk Conservative Club on Saturday, 11^th March, which will include a silent auction and a main auction.

 “I’m hoping to come away with £1,000 from that night, and the rest I can get from my pots and JustGiving page,” said Jo. 

Auction pieces will include members’ passes and a vehicle pass for cross country day at Badminton Horse Trials, a round of golf at Pontypool Golf Club, Limited Edition Guy Martin Proper merchandise. A variety of gorgeous hampers from local business. 

Tickets will be free, but must be booked for tables of six or eight, and there will be plenty of entertainment games and a disco by Ali Bevan

Jo also hopes to host a Bingo night at her local, the Clytha Arms. 

Tickets will be free, but must be booked for tables of six or eight, and there will be plenty of entertainment games and a disco by Ali Bevan. 

Jo also hopes to host a quiz night at her local, the Clytha Arms. 

Talking about her marathon training, Jo said she’s excited for the atmosphere of the day, adding: “Everyone who has experienced it has only got good things to say.  

“I’m panicking that I can’t get enough training in, because you just have to wait and follow the plan.  I will be ready, but I want to be ready now!” 

The auction evening starts at 7pm for 7.30pm.  To book tickets, contact Jo on 07969 574686.

If you would like to sponsor Jo, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Jo-Drinkwater3