Local NHS Matron joins Treetops Moonlight Walk

A retiring NHS Matron from Queens Medical Centre has signed up for the Treetops Moonlight Walk, in memory of her late husband, Mick.

Angie Braley, 60, from Sawley, will be walking the sponsored 5K night-time route alongside her brother John to raise vital funds for Treetops Hospice, whose nurses cared for Mick in his final days through their Hospice at Home service.

“Treetops came into my life in April 2024, when Mick – my best friend and husband – and I were told his cancer had spread. We were devastated, but Treetops made it possible for him to leave hospital and spend the short time he had left with me at home, and with his family and friends. I will forever be grateful for that.”

Angie and Mick were together for 38 years and married for just under four months before he died in 2024, following a year-long battle with cancer. Despite a gruelling treatment regime and serious complications, Mick remained – in Angie’s words – “a great guy, caring, funny and clever, who would go out of his way to help others.”

Angie said she had always heard good things about Treetops, but her experience went “beyond expectations”:

“The care the Hospice at Home nurses gave to Mick and myself, at an extremely sad and painful time for us both, was exceptional. What really surprised me was the care and support they offered me afterwards.”

Following Mick’s death, Angie received bereavement counselling through Treetops’ support services:

“Losing Mick was really tough for me. Earlier this year I began a course of counselling with Treetops counsellors. On many occasions I remember walking up to the door and wondering what I could talk about for an hour, and on many occasions we’d almost run out of time. The counselling really helped me make sense of things and manage other things better. Again, I’m grateful for that.”

Angie will be joining hundreds of others at the Moonlight Walk on Friday 5 September, starting and finishing at Derby Market Hall. Walkers can choose between a 5K or 10K route to raise money for the hospice’s end-of-life nursing care and counselling services for patients and their families.

Encouraging others to get involved, Angie said: “A few years ago I’d never have imagined in a million years I’d be talking about my experiences of Treetops. It’s an amazing organisation which cares for people of Derbyshire when they need it the most; so everyone has a reason to support.”

Proceeds from the event will help fund Treetops’ nursing care for local patients at end of life, along with the counselling services provided by the charity.

Tickets for the Treetops Moonlight Walk are £18 per person and available via our Moonlight Walk page.