Terminally-ill man raises £10,000 in charity drive for hospice that has cared for him
IT is a state-of-the-art hospice which offers those terminally ill with cancer care in their final days as well as offering support services for people living with the disease.
Based in the grounds of Glasgow’s Bellahouston Park, the daily running costs at the Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice are £16,000.
Terminally-ill patient Graham Molloy was stunned by the figure – and even before he sadly required their services, he had decided to fundraise for the hospice and has now smashed his target, with a total now sitting at more than £10,000.
Mr Molloy, 56, from the south side of Glasgow, originally set a target of raising £7,500 after learning how much it costs to run the hospice each day.
He was diagnosed with throat cancer about five years ago which then developed into skin cancer. He received treatment at the time but about two years later he developed a sore back and was referred for a chest X-ray which led to having a CT scan.
Mr Molloy was diagnosed with lung cancer in January 2019 and underwent surgery at NHS Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank and received chemotherapy at the New Victoria Hospital. Last year, he was greatly affected by the pandemic due to his illness and was effectively a prisoner in his own home.
He was reliant on his sons, Barry, 35, and Kieran, 26, to do his shopping and pass it to him through his window. Sadly, the cancer has since spread to Mr Molloy’s liver and he was told that there were no further treatments available for him.
“I was being treated at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital a few months back when a doctor came to talk to me,” said Mr Molly. “Alistair told me about The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice and all the care they could offer me. I decided to investigate and was astounded to learn it costs about £16,000 each day to run their services. Even before I left hospital for the hospice, I decided I wanted to do something to help so I started a Gofundme.
“I set my target at £7,500 and over the past month it has raised more than £10,000. I have been so touched by everyone’s generosity.”
Mr Molloy said: “Not only is the hospice just such a lovely peaceful and friendly place, the staff are just amazing. Night and day they are there looking after us all, nothing is ever too much trouble.”
Rhona Baillie, hospice chief executive, said: “We are so very grateful to him and everyone who has donated to his fundraiser. While our care and services are free to everyone who needs them, as a charity we do rely on the public’s generosity to keep the hospice running.”
“Graham is doing an amazing thing at a very difficult time and I know his efforts will greatly benefit our patients.”