Katie & Charlotte StopTober for Myton Hospice

Mums story

It all started in December 2020 when mum was first diagnosed with breast cancer. After finding a lump, she had more tests with confirmed the dreaded C word - every womens nightmare. As usual when mum told her family & friend she took it in her stride & continued to put on a brave face and showed she could and would fight it. Her treatment plan was soon in place to start chemotherapy & radiotherapy to remove the cancer & stop it from spreading.

However in march we then found out it was too late and the cancer had already spread to her liver and part of her spine.

This news absolutely petrified us all & we couldn’t comprehend mum already being in stage 4 so quickly. Mums cancer was now terminal and she was given a life span between 2-5 years. The doctor explained her new treatments would only be to prolong her life.

Over the next 2 years, mum had hundreds of appointments & scans at Warwick, Stratford, Coventry & Birmingham hospital. These were for new drugs, injections, chemotherapy - anything to try and prolong her life. Some times the news after her results were good - but mostly bad as unfortunately mums body didn’t accept a lot of the treatments & the Cancer continued to get worse.

Mum was also in touch with hospitals in London, Manchester & Germany to try more drugs and even trail drugs which weren’t approved on the NHS. It was safe to say mum did everything she could to try fight the cancer.

For most people that knew mum, her main goal & aim was to be able to attend my wedding in April 2023. She achieved that goal. She looked absolutely stunning, was in good health & she gracefully gave me away which was the most magical moment for her and of course me.

With mums health being stable (or so we thought) she looked well & continued to be in good spirits.

Mum soon after the wedding took a turn for the worst and ended up in hospital at the beginning of May. It was now confirmed there no more treatments for her and she was experiencing liver failure due to the cancers rapid growth.

Once again mum continued to be in high spirits at hospital making jokes about the food, taking photos but also trying to prepare family for what was next for her. This broke us all but we continued to be Strong for mum. Mum was now experiencing severe Jaundice due to the liver. It was very visual how poorly she really was however continued to be up on her feet, eating small amounts and being her usual happy self.

Mum was then let out of hospital and by choice of her own, wanted to come home. Arrangements were made for her to have support from palliative care & Myton hospice nurses.

Slowly mums condition started to get worse. She ate less & became less mobile. She now needed support for all aspects. This is where myton team really stepped up. 6 times a day someone was there. Either to help me, Charlotte or George - or simply to be there and talk to mum. The support they gave mum & the family was phenomenal.

After 3 days of mum being home, she peacefully passed away surrounded by her family. Mums fight was over & she didn’t need to fight anymore.

What myton did for mum & us?

From the moment mum was diagnosed, counselling sessions through Myton was set up for her to help support her through her illness. She went weekly to see someone at the Warwick venue & she always told us how much she appreciated them. They helped her understand about being terminally ill and supported her with any questions for had. They Helped with her writing a book about her final wishes & her funeral plans.

Myself, Charlotte and all the family are internally grateful for all they did to help mum. A charity so close to home and which made a huge difference for mums journey. Please help us raise as much money as possible for an amazing cause.

Thank you for reading

Katie & Charlotte

“At The Myton Hospices we believe that everyone matters for every single moment of their life; we focus on enhancing life when cure is no longer an option. Last year we supported thousands of people and their families, in our three hospices, via our patient and family support services, and in the community through Myton at Home”.