“I’d never experienced a hospice before, but the kindness and care we received from the moment we arrived was just incredible.” Shares nursery worker Jane Faulkner, 57, after having 14 inches of her hair cut off to raise funds for the Leeds hospice that cared for her sister in her final days.
Kendal resident Jane was inspired to fundraise for the Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice after experiencing the expert and compassionate care provided to her older sister, Dr Anne Hicks, who worked for many years as a GP in Morley.
Jane: “Anne started feeling unwell in August and a scan at the hospital sadly discovered that she had a sarcoma. Her health deteriorated rapidly after that point and she was admitted to the hospice for end-of-life care just seven weeks later. I’d never experienced a hospice before, but the kindness and care we received as a family from the moment we arrived was just incredible. The Sue Ryder nurses were always there to answer our questions, keep us going with tea and toast – or simply give us a hug when we needed it.
It was a real privilege to be asked by Anne to stay with her at the end of her life at the hospice. It was without doubt the hardest thing I have ever done, but I will always be eternally grateful for the amazing care, compassion and kindness we all received from the nurses at the hospice. I can’t praise them enough. It must be a very difficult job and I take my hat off to each and every one of them.”
After Anne’s death, Jane decided to have her long hair cut to raise funds to support the palliative care and bereavement support provided by Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice. Her hair was cut at Ruby Tuesday Salon in Kendal on Saturday 26 November and this has since raised a total of more than £1,500. Jane’s hair has also been donated to the Little Princess Trust, which donates real hair wigs to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment or other conditions.
Jane: “I was going to have my hair cut for my 60th birthday but as soon as this happened I just knew I wanted to do it as a tribute to Anne. I will be eternally grateful for the kind care and compassion my gorgeous sister and our whole family received and this was my way of saying thank you. The money I have managed to raise absolutely blows me away and I know Anne would be as overwhelmed as I am. It is the equivalent of funding three days of Sue Ryder care – which is very poignant as that’s how long Anne was in the hospice.”
Joanne Stevens, Community Fundraising Manager at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice, said: “We’re so grateful to Jane for choosing to support our hospice in this way. ……………….I’m sure her sister Anne would have been so very proud. As a charity, we’re reliant on our generous supporters like Jane donating and fundraising for us, which ensures we can continue to be there when it matters for people at the most difficult times of their lives.”
There is still time to donate to Jane’s fundraising page. Visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jane-faulkner3
For more information about Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice, visit: sueryder.org/wheatfields.
Cover photograph – Jane’s new look.
