We can’t praise the Hospice Team enough

An Emmerdale fan and a wiz at word games, Teresa Smith was a fit and active businesswoman when she discovered lumps on her neck during a walking holiday in Scotland. Following a bowel cancer diagnosis, she was cared for by our Hospice at Home Team. Her husband, Allan, shares her story…

“When Teresa passed away, it was just eight days after our 32nd wedding anniversary. We met in 1988 and married in 1990. We had three children, Wayne, Rachel and Christopher, and two grandchildren, Oliver and Leila, who she doted on.

Teresa was a very active person. She liked to keep fit, and during the COVID-19 lockdown she participated in Joe Wicks’ daily TV fitness sessions. She also liked to go hiking with me and her close friends.

At home, Teresa was a good cook and liked watching the soaps. She also liked to do word games on her iPad and had an interest in horse racing. This was also a passion of her father’s.

Prior to her illness, Teresa ran her own dry-cleaning business for over 25 years. She also cared for her father after her mother passed away. Unfortunately, Teresa had to close her shop in 2016 as her father was also diagnosed with bowel cancer.

In June 2021, Teresa was on a walking holiday in Scotland and had just climbed Ben Nevis when she found lumps on her neck. She visited a doctor, but just one month later began experiencing some bleeding from her back passage.

A biopsy of the lumps was taken, and at the end of September, further tests revealed that Teresa had bowel cancer. On 25th October 2021, we got the devastating news that her condition was incurable.

She started palliative chemotherapy treatment in November at The Christie in Manchester. In February 2022, Teresa’s condition worsened, and in March we were told that there was nothing else that could be done for her.

Dr Kershaw’s Hospice at Home Team looked after Teresa in her final week. As a family we cannot praise the team enough. They always explained what they were doing and what to expect.

We became frustrated as Teresa was suffering, but we were able to talk to the team and this was a great comfort to us. They were extremely responsive to calls and were always able to find a resolution to any issues.

We were able to contact them out of hours, so when Teresa passed away they could verify and prepare her for transportation to the funeral home. When the team arrived, they cleaned and dressed Teresa with great dignity, even spraying her with perfume.

Each member of the family received a woollen heart, which we all really appreciated. And the Hospice at Home nurses took the pressure off us by sorting out all the paperwork.

If I could, I would like to thank each member of the team personally for their assistance!”