“Mum was really supportive of everything we did in life. She was always very proud of everything we achieved; but also drove us in setting the standards of what life should be.”
Mark’s mum, Susan, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019. After surgery and chemotherapy, she was given the all-clear. “When her hair grew back, we thought life would get better and she’d be with us for a long time.”
Sadly, during the Covid pandemic, her health declined. Mark recalls the first signs: a dull ache in her lower back, difficulty eating, and a burning sensation in her chest. She eventually received a terminal cancer diagnosis, alone. “I remember the day. It was 5 October, the day after my birthday.”
Due to hospital visiting restrictions, Mark and his family chose to bring his mum home to care for her. For four-and-a-half weeks, they supported her day and night. At first, she was stable and could enjoy TV and conversation, but soon she began to deteriorate rapidly. Restless nights and increasing pain left the family overwhelmed.
“We ended up calling the doctors, and saying we needed support at night, but we didn’t know where to go. That’s when we were sign posted to Treetops Hospice. Treetops provides a Hospice at Home service, where nurses visit families overnight to manage medication, provide care, and offer guidance. For Mark’s family, this support was life-changing: “The nurses were brilliant. I describe them as angels still, because they were.
“We’d get to 3am and mum would be agitated, restless and in pain. We’d call the Treetops nurses and they’d be there within half-an-hour. Two nurses would turn up, they’d go upstairs to mum, sort her medication, settle her and sit with her. They never rushed. That gave us a couple of hours to take a breath, get a drink and clear our heads. When they left, mum was settled and peaceful; and we had peace of mind.
“Without the Treetops nurses, I don’t know what we’d have done. We were lost. We didn’t think we’d need the support, we thought we’d be fine. It’s only when you get to that moment that you realise you need help and support. We weren’t even aware what that support was; it’s only when you get it that you realise what Treetops does for families at the most vulnerable times.
“It was crisis for us, because we were struggling to deal with the emotions of what was happening to us, to mum, and what the impact was going to be. Without Treetops we wouldn’t have coped.”
Thanks to Treetops, Mark’s family were able to keep his mum at home, just as she wished.
“Allowing us to keep mum at home and fulfil her final wishes was really important to us, that’s why Treetops means so much – because it allowed it to happen, otherwise we’d have felt we’d let her down at the last moment.”
Share article
