Will you help us be there for people like Sandra?

Help us continue to be there for people, like we were for Sandra

We are incredibly sad to share that Sandra recently died in our care. Our staff have shared that it was a privilege to care for Sandra and we are so grateful to her and her family, for letting us share their story during such an emotional time. All the support we receive from our summer appeal goes directly to supporting others, that might need our help too, Sandra’s son Paul shared some final words with us, and the family welcome any future support in Sandra’s name. and Sandra’s family welcome any future donations in her name.

Sandra's family shared this update with us:

“My mum Sandra very sadly passed away a few days ago at the Taunton Hospice. The expert St Margaret’s team supported her and us, her family, along the whole terrifying journey. We simply do not know what we would have done without them. This cruel disease will strike many of us and believe me when I say you will not want to face it without the St Margaret’s team. 

Our one positive talking point in the last few weeks with Mum was how generously people have given to the summer fundraising campaign. If you haven’t already, and as the summer campaign closes, please do consider making a donation.”

You can read more about our summer appeal, and Sandra’s story below.

“Going through cancer is a terrifying thing – not just for me, but for my family as well. St Margaret’s have supported us throughout, making everything so much simpler and more manageable”

Every day, St Margaret’s nurses are visiting patients across Somerset with an end-of-life diagnosis, bringing hospice care to them at home. For patients like Sandra, being able to access our care is life changing.

When Sandra was diagnosed with an incurable secondary bone cancer last year, she didn’t know what to do. With support from our nurses, Sandra has been able to focus on getting her life back, enjoying the time that she has left, doing the things she loves, and spending time with family.

Sandra came to St Margaret’s with complex symptoms – she was in lots of pain and struggled to sit on a normal chair, or sleep in a normal bed. Our team of community nurses assessed Sandra at home, taking the time to listen to her and finding solutions so that she could be more comfortable. When things took a turn for the worse, Sandra stayed on our In-patient Unit. She came out stronger and has since been at home with her family, knowing that 24/7 expert care and advice is just a phone call away.

“They treat me like a human being. If I need anything at home, they’re there – whether that’s someone at the end of their adviceline to get help from, or a nurse to pop over to check I’m OK – nothing is ever too much”

85% of our patients are cared for at home, in familiar and comforting surroundings. Our teams take the time to really get to know our patients and their families. We help them to live as well as they can, for as long as possible. But we can only do this with your support.

“Whilst I’m still here enjoying whatever time I have, I urge anybody reading this to support St Margaret’s Hospice, because so many more families going through dark times really do need them” 

With a donation today, you can help our nurses take the time to care for people like Sandra, when they need it most. Thank you!

Read Sandra’s full story here

Other ways to donate

We’re here to help so if you have any questions about our appeal, or you’d like to donate over the phone, call our friendly supporter experience team on 01935 709485. If you’d like to send us a cheque, please send this to St Margaret's Hospice Care, Little Tarrat Lane, Yeovil, BA20 2HU.

Find out more information on other ways to donate here. 

Please donate to our appeal