Hemel man shares wife’s story to support Hospice’s bed appeal
Jeff Adams, from Hemel Hempstead, never thought his family would need hospice care, but then his wife Ali was diagnosed with brain cancer not long after her fiftieth birthday.
Now, Jeff is sharing his family’s story publicly to bring attention to the importance of keeping beds open on the Inpatient Unit at The Hospice of St Francis in Berkhamsted.
Jeff’s wife Ali, who worked as a school nurse, was diagnosed with brain tumours in 2022 after losing sensation in her hand. Jeff and Ali’s two daughters returned home to help care for her but as Ali’s condition worsened, they needed professional support.
In February 2023, Ali came to the Inpatient Unit at The Hospice of St Francis. Jeff said, “Straightaway everything felt different from hospital. The staff and volunteers treated us like family, and it was very warm and heartfelt. They were not just looking after Ali; they were caring for all of us. There was even an extendable cuddle bed in the room which meant the girls could stay overnight with their mum.”
Jeff’s daughters were able to spend quality time with their mum at the Hospice. Jeff explained: “Dr Katy told the girls, ‘Let us care for her and you just love your mum.’ So our daughters were able to spend time, detached from her care, just having Ali as their mum.” Sadly, Ali died at the Hospice in April 2023.
Jeff summed up his family’s experience with hospice care, “Spending time just loving Ali meant so much to our family. The hospice is an essential place for families, and for everyone in our community. You might not expect to need it, but when you support it and keep its beds open, you’re ensuring that families like ours – and like yours - can have extraordinary care and support when they need it the most.”
Fay Richardson, Director of Care, explained why the Hospice is launching a Bed Appeal now. “Many people are aware of the funding challenges being faced by hospices up and down the country. Unfortunately, this includes us, and we have been using our financial reserves to help bridge the gap between what we raise and what we spend on running the Hospice.”
While hospice care is free to all patients, a single day’s care on the Inpatient Unit at The Hospice of St Francis costs £695 per patient. With less than 20% of funding coming from the NHSand demand for care increasing every year, the hospice relies on the community’s financial donations to keep their Inpatient Unit beds open.
Currently, about 37% of patients cared for in The Hospice of St Francis’s Inpatient Unit come from Hemel Hempstead and surrounding villages. The Hospice needs to raise £630,000 each year to keep all eight Inpatient Unit beds open. “Your support will help ensure we can keep our beds open,” Richardson said, appealing to the community in Hemel Hempstead.
To donate to The Hospice of St Francis’s bed appeal, please visit: www.stfrancis.org.uk/bedappeal