Alex's story

Mum was only in her 70s which might feel old to some, but she had been so healthy and fit right up until she was diagnosed with breast cancer early last year. Yet just months later everything seemed to change. We were told it had spread and from hearing those words our world just crumbled around us.

Mum’s body became so fragile with chemotherapy, and she became unrecognisable to the woman she once was. As a family we started to feel the weight of her illness. We knew the time was coming where we had to ask for help but none of us wanted to admit it. Mum no longer had the energy for treatment, and we were told that the best option for her now was to look at palliative care.

In a quiet conversation one evening, we sat with Mum, holding her frail hands. She was a proud woman, but she finally voiced what she had been thinking. "I don’t want to die at home, I can see you are all struggling and I don’t want that”.
That night, the decision was made. We reached out to Dove House.  Our family embraced the support the hospice offered us. The doctor that came to see us when Mum arrived was wonderful, and spoke to us calmly with such grace, even when telling us things we really didn’t want to hear. The social worker also offered us emotional support and helped us process the inevitable, I didn’t realise how important that was for us at the time.

We had always been a tight-knit family, there was so much, laughter, and love in our home when growing up. But in the final weeks of Mum’s life our bond as a family seemed to grow even stronger. The hospice helped us be a family, we didn’t have to worry about any of her care needs as they always had everything in hand.
We took turns staying by Mum’s side, holding her hand and talking to her. The hospice team checked in regularly, making adjustments to her medications and ensuring she was never in pain. In those moments, we had the opportunity to reminisce, to laugh about old stories, to cry together, and most importantly, to be present.
The hospice staff became like an extension of our family, offering a compassionate presence that helped Mum and us navigate this difficult journey. We remained close by her side, taking comfort in knowing that her wishes had been honoured. The hospice made sure Mum’s final days were as peaceful as possible, it was everything you could hope for which up until that point we really hadn’t thought of, but we didn’t want Mum to die in pain and thanks to Dove House she didn’t.

It was a moment of grief, yes, but also one of relief. Mum was surrounded by the love and warmth of her family. And as we said our final goodbyes, we knew she was at peace.

We are incredibly grateful for the care, the memories, and the love we had shared in those final days while Mum was at Dove House.