"My mum was the heart of our family. She was caring, strong and loving, and she was always there for the people she loved. Even during the hardest moments of her illness, she showed incredible courage and kindness. Cancer may have taken her from us, but it will never take away the love, memories and strength she gave to everyone around her.
LOROS became involved in Mum’s care around the middle of 2025. At first, their nurses came to our home to help with things like dressing her wounds and managing her pain. As Mum deteriorated, they were coming out every day to care for her. I’d come home from work and the LOROS nurses would be there with Mum. They were unbelievably friendly and the level of care was fantastic. It was almost like having another family member caring for her. It felt like genuine love.
We got to know the same faces and that brought a real sense of comfort. Mum felt comfortable with them and so did the rest of us. Right from the beginning, we knew she was being looked after.
Christmas was always Mum’s favourite time of year, and she made it special for us for as long as I can remember. When we found out Mum was terminally ill, we knew there was a chance she wouldn’t make it to Christmas, so we decided to bring Christmas forward to October and celebrate it together as a family. We created our own Christmas Day for her, and she loved it. After all those years of Mum making Christmas special for us, it felt important that we could make that last one special for her.
LOROS didn't just look after Mum; they looked after us too.
What I will always remember is how the nurses continued to care for Mum right until the end. Even when she could no longer respond, they treated her as though she was awake and aware. The level of care never changed. One thing Mum always wanted was to keep her dignity, and LOROS made sure she did.
Knowing how well Mum was cared for by LOROS has helped me enormously with my grief. They made sure she was comfortable and treated with dignity right until her last breath. When we eventually walked out of the Hospice without Mum, as painful as that was, I remember thinking that if there is a way to go, that’s the way you would want it to be.
Christmas without Mum is difficult to put into words. There will always be something missing without her there, but I know we’ll keep those traditions going and remember everything she did to make Christmas what it was for our family.
This Christmas, I’ll think about Mum and the people who cared for her when she needed it most. We got to have that final Christmas together, and we have those memories to hold on to. That means more to me than I can say."
