Amy Craig’s dad, John Mills, was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer in January 2021. The cancer was aggressive and John died just three months later, in March 2021 at the age of 60. On Saturday 28th May, Amy, her husband Stuart and their little boy Arthur will be walking in our Twilight Walk in memory of John. This year’s Royal Parade themed Twilight Walk falls on what would’ve been John’s 62nd birthday. Here’s Amy’s heart-warming story about her dad.
“Dad was very fit and active until he got ill. He loved playing cricket and golf, and was a big fan of rugby too. He was a great Dad to me and my sisters and he absolutely loved spending time with his Grandson. He always got stuck in, acting like a big kid on the playground.
“Dad had unusual, non-specific symptoms from March 2020 but doctors were unsure of the cause. His kidney was eventually removed in November 2020 for biopsy. In January 2021 it was confirmed that he had a very aggressive form of cancer and was already at stage 4. After the diagnosis, he got very sick very quickly. He was too sick to receive any treatment other than palliative care. It was devastating.
“At the point Dad was hospitalised, LOROS had no beds available. We were fortunate that he was cared for at home in his final days. This was particularly important to all of us as hospital visits were not permitted at that time. It was so reassuring to know that LOROS were just at the end of the phone whenever we needed any guidance or support after Dad’s death. We found that such a great comfort.
“I have close friends with family members who have also found immense relief in the services offered by LOROS. This year’s Twilight Walk falls on what would have been Dad’s 62nd Birthday. I was trying to think of what to do to celebrate Dad this year and I saw the date for the walk in an e-mail circulated around my work. Dad loved a good group walk and this lined up perfectly, so I had to sign up! Helping other families in similar situations to ours seems like a good way to honour Dad’s memory.
“Arthur was extremely close to his Grandad and misses him a lot. The Twilight Walk will give him a new and special memory to link to his Grandad. LOROS helps patients and their families get through one of the worst times of their lives. Anything that can help ease any of the suffering is worth supporting.
“The Twilight Walk will give us a chance to honour Dad’s memory and do something positive for him on his birthday. I just know he would have enjoyed taking part too if he was still with us.”
If you'd like to walk in memory of somebody special or walk in support of LOROS Hospice, join us at our annual Twilight Walk this May. Find out more and book your Twilight Walk tickets today by clicking here.
