“When David was first diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of 19 and given five years to live, the doctors asked him, ‘What would you like to do with the rest of your time? See the world? Explore?’
“His answer was simple. ‘I just want to be normal. To have a normal life.’
“And that’s what he did, for 25 years. He loved music and went to countless live gigs with his wife, Angela. He became a father to Louis and worked as a lay chaplain at St Mary’s High School in Blackpool.
“Before that, he was a chemistry teacher – constantly eager to learn about the world. When epilepsy, a symptom of the tumour, forced him to switch jobs, he took it with grace. David was, above all, kind. Healways saw the good in everyone and kept his friends for life.
“Over the years, he worked with doctors to keep the cancer at bay. He had radiotherapy, chemotherapy and three cranial operations.
“During these, they’d wake him up and talk to him while they were investigating his brain. The nurse took a photograph of him during one surgery which I treasure today. It shows him with his thumbs up, laughing at me, while the surgeon had his hands in his head! That was David – brave, curious, always thinking about how his experience might help others.
“But in June 2024, the news we had dreaded arrived. David’s cancer was now terminal. The scans, the appointments, the treatments – all of it stopped. The world felt desolate. There was nothing more we could do to fight David’s corner. That’s when the hospice stepped in. As a family, we’ve known about it for years – David’s grandma died there in the 80s and his dad in 2016. But now, it was part of our lives. With Karen and Rick from the Living Well Service, David felt supported and safe with his mobility. From day one, David knew he wanted to be at the hospice when he died.
“In early December, things changed quickly. One day we were out for lunch and the next his legs wouldn’t work. The hospital suggested Trinity and he was given a lovely room. They helped to get him to his sister Claire’s for Christmas Day. There’s a photo of him smiling at the table, celebrating the holiday just like always.
“In January, we looked after him at his brother John’s house. But it wasn’t comfortable for David; he was in pain, losing strength and he didn’t want us to have to provide hands-on care. So, he returned to the hospice for the final weeks of his life.
“It became a home from home. Louis could be a toddler there, run around and be with his daddy. We were there every day. He found comfort in sitting with Helen, Trinity’s Chaplain and all the incredible nurses. They looked after him, but also us. I’ll never forget them urging me to go and have a lie down in their guest room, because they were always around.
“And everything in David’s room was there to give us comfort and normality, a special bed for David, comfy chairs for Angela and I, it was like an extension of our home.
“Many people think a hospice is where you go to die. But for David, it was where he could live his best life – comfortable, safe, surrounded by love. That’s why whatever they need, we’ll always be there to help.
“And you can help families like ours too by giving a Christmas donation to help Trinity to purchase the furniture they need to provide that much-needed comfort and dignity at the hardest of times.”
Love, Lynda x
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