Light up a Life 2010
05 December 2010
This year around 27,000* people across the region will be facing their first Christmas without someone they were close to.
To help them through this time we held Light up a Life services on the 5th and 12th December at Christ Church in Woking and St James Church in Weybridge.
Both services were very well received by the people that gathered to celebrate the lives of their loved ones.
Brooklands Radio will be broadcasting the Sam Beare Hospice service online . Just go to www.brooklandsradio.co.uk and click on the 'Listen Again'
With more than 300 events taking place across the UK, Woking Hospice Light up a Light event is part of the nationwide campaign by the hospice movement to support people dealing with the death of someone they care about. David Praill, chief executive of Help the Hospices, the leading charity supporting hospice care throughout the UK says:
"An important part of hospice care is the support provided to friends and family of a patient after they have died. A Light up a Life event is one of the many ways that hospices help people come to terms with the loss of someone close to them and warmly remember a loved one for years to come."
This year the Pitwell and Somerville families have shared Natalie's story told here by her Dad Iain.
'We had so little time to come to terms with losing Natalie, as she died in April this year just a month after being diagnosed with thyroid and lung cancer. After two weeks in a cold and impersonal hospital ward, Natalie was depressed and asked to be taken home. I was worried at the strain this would put on her husband and their daughters.
But then I remembered hearing about Woking Hospice and I went to look round, talked to the team there and they agreed she could be admitted. When we took Natalie to the Hospice she turned to her mum and said, 'This is lovely - is it private?'
All the staff from the medical specialists to the volunteers who kept our visiting family and friends supplied with tea and coffee,enveloped every one of us with care and kindness. During the nine days we were there, they kept us going. Natalie's sister Sophie said 'I felt that the staff were all so supportive and at no time did I feel I was in the way - they cared for me as well as my sis. Her last days were so peaceful and I was so glad that she spent it at Woking Hospice. They truly care.'
Natalie's mum, her sister and I continue to receive help from the superb counselling team and our grandchildren are finding the Footsteps Children's bereavement support a great help, being able to share their experiences with other youngsters who have lost a parent. As a family, we thank the Hospice for the care, love and understanding shown to us all.
We'll be together at Woking Hospice's Light Up a Life Service. As we look at the light on the tree commemorating Natalie's life we'll be praying for those we have all lost as well as those who dedicate themselves to caring."
Sophie Pitwell, Kim Ferris and Nikki Bennett, ‘Girls Next Door’ performed two beautiful songs, Silent Night and More than Words, at the Woking service. The girls are recording a CD in memory of Sophie’s sister, Natalie Sumerville who died in April this year, a month after being diagnosed with thyroid and lung cancer. The Cd is called ‘Reflections’ and will include the song, More than Words as performed at the service and will be completed in January.