Teresa's Legacy story
I am Teresa and I am here to share my experiences of the hospice with you and the reasons why I decided to leave a gift in my Will to Dove House Hospice.
My first experience of the hospice was around 12 years ago when my Husband Terry became ill and was diagnosed with prostate cancer. We were introduced to the hospice’s Wellbeing Group which we attended twice a month from 10am-3pm, enjoying music therapy, complementary sessions, history of Hull reading groups and many more activities. This, alongside Friday Friends were a lifeline for me and Terry, enabling us to meet other families in a similar situation.
I also attended Carer’s Group which was held every other Wednesday at Dove House. This was a safe space where we could talk about our week, anything that we were struggling with and support one another. I made many friends at these groups who I am still in contact with now!
In 2022, I sadly lost Terry. Coming back to Friday Friends after Terry had died was very difficult but it helped that others knew him, everyone at the group had loved him. Where he used to sit was just empty and a hard thing to see but I know that if I hadn’t come back to the group, I wouldn’t have been able to cope. The support from the group is what keeps me going. The people that attend are like me and they just get it. Anything goes and you can express any feelings you have. They are my friends, and we often meet up outside of the group. I don’t know what I would do without them in my life.
More recently I have started volunteering with the hospice, both at the groups and as part of the Fundraising Team, helping at various events and the car boot sale. I am also doing the China Trek next year to raise funds for the hospice. The team at Dove House and the friends that I have made at the groups really have become my family.
As a thank you for the support that Dove House has given to both me and Terry, I have decided to leave a gift to the hospice in my Will. I like to think that this is my way of giving back and making sure that the hospice will be there for more people like me in the future. As Dove House have an online free wills service, I decided to write my Will using that – it was quick and easy, only taking around half an hour to complete. A couple of weeks later, my Will had been checked by a specialist and sent back to me to sign – it really was as simple as that! Though I would recommend having all of your documents to hand to save time!
I hope that leaving a gift in my Will to the hospice will mean that other local families can access the care and support that we received at such a difficult time.