For Jason, the most enduring image of Jackie is her as a mother: loving, vibrant, and unwavering in her dedication to their three children; Fraser, Melissa, and Emily. “She loved being a mum,” he says. “She was very outgoing, very active, she would help anybody who needed her help.”
Their world shifted suddenly in April 2023. Jackie collapsed without warning and underwent emergency surgery that night. The devastating diagnosis followed: a terminal brain tumour. “We were told she had months,” says Jason.
But Jackie, ever resilient, defied the odds. “She had such a positive attitude and I think that’s why she lasted longer than expected,” Jason says. “She still had things she wanted to do.”
Even as her condition worsened, Jackie’s dedication to her children remained fierce. One year after her operation, their daughter Emily was offered the opportunity to go Barcelona with her college. “Emily is disabled and uses a powered wheelchair. I was supposed to go with them but Jackie said, no, I’ll go. There was no talking her out of it,” Jason chuckles. Jackie and her daughter spent five precious days together in Barcelona.
She was able to go and still be a mum to Emily."Jason
Though she had been told she only had months, Jackie lived for two years after her diagnosis. As her health declined, the need for more specialist support became clear, That’s when St Margaret’s stepped in.
“In those final stages, a very, very kind nurse called Mary Patricia came to see Jacqueline,” Jason remembers. It was their first encounter with the hospice’s community team. “She was very focused on getting the help Jackie required at home. Within a matter of days, we had specialist equipment at home, which we had been missing. We had a bed, we had a walker, we had a wheelchair – various things to help Jackie get about and be left on her own.”
But eventually, keeping Jackie at home was no longer tenable. “When it got to the stage that she was unable to be at home, the hospice was fantastic at arranging transport and getting her settled in.”
Jackie was admitted to the hospice’s In-Patient Unit (IPU) at the beginning of April 2025.
She received fantastic care that gave her integrity and comfort towards her end of life."Jason
Jackie was more than happy to come to the hospice. “She had raised money thirty years previous when she was in the Young Farmers in Wellington,” Jason shares. “So it sort of came full circle. You never know when you’re raising money for charity, that somewhere down the line you might benefit from that charity.”
Having Jackie at St Margaret’s brought relief and stability to the whole family. “Jackie being in the hospice during those final weeks allowed our home life to continue. My children were going through exams at the time, so it was quite a stressful time. But St Margaret’s was so supportive.”
The physical and medical care provided to Jackie, was, in Jason’s words, “fantastic.” But what meant just as much to him and his children were the small, unseen acts of kindness. “It’s the stuff people don’t realise – it’s the cups of tea at six in the morning, or the sandwich at nine at night. You never felt that you were a burden to them.”
It’s the little things – that’s what the hospice is all about.”Jason
Even as Jackie’s speech began to fade in those final weeks, her characteristic positivity never wavered. “She could still do a thumbs up, she still tried to keep that spirit up. Bringing the children in to see her was obviously a big perk for her as well,” Jason says. “There was never a restriction on us coming and going. We came in as and when it suited us as a family. What suited us, suited the hospice.”
It gave Jason the reassurance he needed to carry on caring for their children and go to work, knowing Jackie was in the best of hands. And when he did bring the children to visit, it meant the world to see Jackie so well cared for. “Jacqueline wasn’t just sitting in bed on her own watching TV. There were always nurses checking in on her, always people coming round asking if she needed anything,” Jason remembers. “When I did bring the children in, Jackie was always looking her best. She had clean clothes, her hair was always brushed. It was nice for the children to see their mum in that way. It helped the children get used to the idea that Jackie wasn’t going to be here much longer.”
In her final weeks, the hospice team went above and beyond to create lasting memories. Their son Fraser celebrated his sixteenth birthday with his mum – complete with fish and chips, balloons, and banners. “It was a real sixteenth moment,” Jason smiles. “Emily turned eighteen here as well – we had cakes and balloons for her, too.”
Another special day was all about Jackie. “She had always enjoyed a hairdresser visit or a spa. So, the hospice arranged for a hairdresser to come in and give her a makeover. They gave her a facial, did her nails. It just made her feel a bit more like herself while she was in here being cared for.”
But one moment in particular captured the hearts of everyone – even beyond the hospice. Jackie had often spoken of the joy she found during family trips to the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth. One day, she mentioned she’d love to give a donkey a back scratch.
The hospice made it happen.
“They were able to locate a donkey named Britney, and the owners very kindly went out of their own way one Saturday afternoon and brought her in so Jackie could scratch the donkey,” Jason says. “It was just lovely to see Jackie’s face light up.” Britney calmly walked around the hospice, greeting patients, visitors and staff alike, bringing laughter and smiles to all. “Quite a strange thing to see on a Saturday afternoon at a hospice,” Jason chuckles.
The day was a testament to how special the hospice’s community truly is. “For somebody to give up their time to do that, free of charge, for someone they’ve never met… I think that it was amazing and captures how without people’s good will and generosity, the hospice wouldn’t be able to do the fantastic work it does.”
“If that’s what Jackie remembered in those last few weeks, what kept her positive for another day or another week, it was well worth it.” Jason pauses.
It just goes to show you it’s not all about the medical care. It’s the little things – it’s those final wishes.”Jason
When Jackie’s final hours came, the hospice was there every step of the way. “I got a phone call early in the morning to say they didn’t think it would be long. I came in, and again, they were just so caring, so respectful. And the care Jackie received after she passed was absolutely phenomenal.”
“They had her in a separate room where I could go and see her and the children could come and say goodbye. It was really peaceful and dignified for her. She was still receiving that care right up until the point where she left the hospice.”
Jason knows how much of a difference the hospice made. “It wouldn’t have happened as smoothly without St Margaret’s. They all have different departments but they work as a whole, they work as a team for the end result. I think that’s what is unique about St Margarets – they are a lifeline to people.”
The care didn’t end there. “We’ve been in touch with counselling for the children and myself. They reached out quite quickly after Jackie’s passing to offer support and advice and guidance, which was fantastic because you’ve got 101 things going on, you’re trying to arrange everything, and sometimes you just need that guiding hand to say, this is what you need to do.”
When it comes to the hospice, people – and I myself – thought it was a place to die. This is a place people come to have their last days. But it’s so much more. It’s not just about the care. It’s the aftercare, and the care the family receive behind the scenes that make the hospice what it is.”Jason
