A former hospice resident has thanked staff for being her ‘rock’ stating she ‘would not have made it through without them’.
Jenny Roberts spent nine weeks in St Peter’s Hospice’s inpatient unit following support from a community nurse, leaving Bristol’s only adult hospice on October 22.
Following a six-year battle with cancer, Jenny is not fazed by her health complications - a mindset helped by the care she received at the hospice.
She said: “It is one problem after another but it does not bother me.
“I know my days may be numbered so I am determined to make the best of them.
“Not long ago I had an operation just before my daughter’s wedding that was touch and go. I told the doctor ‘I am walking my daughter down the aisle and I will not spoil her day by not making it’.”
Before arriving at St Peter’s Jenny underwent a hip replacement operation which was not able to fix her issues, leaving her with doubts over whether she would make it through the ordeal.
During her time at the hospice, she became a keen admirer of the ground’s garden.
Jenny said: “I called the garden my medicine-chest as it helped me heal. I provided bulbs to be planted, hopefully leaving my legacy in the garden which will help others.
“My service was second-to-none, the place became my rock - especially after the time spent alone during lockdown.”
St Peter’s Hospice provides care free of charge, but it has been hit hard financially by the coronavirus pandemic with a £2million shortfall.
It has launched its When It Matters Most campaign, backed by comedian and actor Stephen Merchant, to protect the services it provides to its most vulnerable patients, a service Jenny experienced first hand
and has made efforts to protect herself.
“It would be a catastrophe to lose the hospice.
“My family have run marathons to raise funds - my eight-year-old granddaughter even ran five kilometres.
“I was once a marathon runner, the hospice had to arrange for me to have special shoes to help me walk - you truly never know when you might depend on them.”
To donate to St Peter’s Hospice log on to www.stpetershospice.org/make-a-donation
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