A man whose brother died of stomach cancer is sharing his story to pay tribute to his achievements.
Jon Read, from Croft, lost his older brother Phil, to the disease in 2013. Since then he has kept Phil’s legacy alive by supporting the hospice who cared for him at the end of his life.
Jon said: “My big brother Phil’s death has left a massive hole in our lives. As a family, we were broken, our lives will never be quite the same again, and there isn’t a day that goes by that we don't miss him or think about him.
Phil Read, who was married with two young sons, was a police officer with the Leicestershire Police, based in Wigston, at the time he became ill.
“My big brother faced his diagnosis with great courage, and steadfast determination to keep going for as long as he possibly could, for the sake of his two boys.”
Yet despite the devastating news of terminal cancer with just months to live, Phil kept busy, raising funds for LOROS Hospice.
“Even though he was unwell he organised a musical tribute night as well as a concert at Belvoir Castle, which brought in a lot of support. That was Phil all over – always helping others.
Since Phil’s death, Jon has continued Phil’s charity work, through his club, Ronin Martial Arts, and more recently by selling over £400 worth of tickets to the LOROS winter raffle.
“The nurses at LOROS took such good care of him, as though he was a member of their own family. We hope that our support will mean that other families going through a terminal illness can access the specialist care like we did, to help them through the darkest days”, Jon added.
LOROS Winter Warmer Raffle is open until 11th December. Tickets can be purchased at LOROS shops or on the website at loros.co.uk/raffle
