Goyellowandhelp fundraisingappeal
What if she’s frightened? Although she was kind of semi-conscious, would she come back? Would she shout out? What would happen?’”
With every night that a Marie Curie Nurse stayed, it seemed very normal to Jane to have someone so warm and chatty with her and those closest to her mum in her own home.
“We just said make yourselves at home, which they did, and they stayed with my mum, held her hand, talked to her,” said Jane.
“It was a huge difference. Because of the fact that family couldn’t go in to say goodbye to somebody throughout the whole of Covid was absolutely horrendous for people. I don’t know how they did it.
“It just must have been absolutely dreadful.
“But for my mum to be able to say goodbye to the people that she wanted to see, and know that they could come in, that was brilliant.”
Jane continued: “When the time did come for her to go, it was actually during the day. It was just me and a couple of really close people there. It was very, very peaceful.
“The Marie Curie Nurses told me: ‘We don’t know exactly what will happen, but this is what often happens.
“This is what normally happens, this is what you can expect.
“That took a lot of the fear away as well, and then how Mum actually died was how they said it would be likely to happen.
“So, I knew that when her hands had changed colour, her nails had changed colour, and there was a different look that came over her face, I thought: ‘Right, okay, this is it.’
“It was a very peaceful time. Just knowing that my mum wasn’t ever going to be left, and the fact that there was always somebody awake taking care of her was a weight off my mind.”
Jane added: “I really don’t know what I would have done without Marie Curie. I will always be grateful to those nurses who came.”
Everyone deserves expert care and support at the end of life, which is why Marie Curie is calling on supporters to go yellow and fundraise in wonderful and wacky ways this March to support its Great Daffodil Appeal.
Fundraising events such as a yellow dress-up day at work, or a yellow-themed bake sale help Marie Curie’s care and support reach every mum and dad, every brother and sister, every partner or friend, everyone – whatever the illness.
The Great Daffodil Appeal encourages everyone to wear their iconic daffodil pins and donate to the end-of-life charity through the month of March to help Marie Curie deliver its expert end-of-life care and support.
Marie Curie’s flagship fundraiser, supported by headline partner Superdrug, raises much-needed funds for Marie Curie Nurses and healthcare professionals to provide expert support and hospice care.
It also funds the charity’s free support line and webchat, which is available to anyone with an illness they’re likely to die from and those close to them.
It offers practical and emotional support on everything from symptom management and day-today care, to financial information and bereavement support.
Marie Curie is dependent on public donations and last year, supporters helped the charity provide direct care to more than 44,200 people across the UK via its nine hospices and through overnight nursing care in people’s own homes.
Ashley Thomson, head of community fundraising for Marie Curie Scotland, said: “We’re looking to paint Scotland yellow this March and need everyone to help us and get involved by hosting dress-up days, bake sales, or any other fun and colourful fundraising events they can think of.
“We’re now in our 38th year of the Great Daffodil Appeal but every year we are overwhelmed by the creativity and dedication of our wonderful supporters who fundraise for us.
“By going yellow and fundraising for Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal, locals will be helping us to deliver vital services to those people with any illness they are likely to die from and their loved ones.”
Visit www.mariecurie.org. uk/get-involved/fundraise/ letsgoyellow
You can also pick up a daffodil pin in any Superdrug store this March and help ensure everyone gets expert care and support right to the end. For information and to donate, please visit: Mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil