“At this time of the year, my mum would be getting her Christmas presents ready. I found a list of what she’d planned last year. We’d done some online shopping together and we got matching slippers.

“Mum always used to say ‘you’ve put more than four sprouts on my plate!’ But if you brought two cream cakes home, she’d eat both of them!

Barbara chose to remain at home throughout her illness and as the heart failure progressed, one of St Helena’s community clinical nurse specialists, Ross Chirgwin, became a firm favourite visitor. Belinda explained:

“When Ross used to come round, it was lovely because she’d always want to smarten up. I knew when towards the end, I said ‘Ross is coming’ and I didn’t get anything from her at all. I knew it wasn’t good because she’d always say ‘brush my hair’ before his visits.

“She had such a soft spot for him. He was fantastic with her because he answered the questions people are probably too frightened to ask. 

"She’d already planned her funeral ages ago, what she’d like, what she wanted, we even picked her outfit; we had a bit of a laugh about that, she’d worn a beautiful outfit to my daughter’s wedding a few years ago and she said ‘yes, I’ll wear that suit but don’t be putting on those silver ballet pumps because I only wore them once; it would be an absolute waste. Put my bed socks on because you know I like my feet warm!’ We did laugh!” 

The family was open with their discussions and Barbara’s choices for her care were recorded on the My Care Choices Register. When she asked about the dying process, they asked CNS Ross, who explained sensitively and honestly. Belinda recalls:

“After it was explained, it was like mum had accepted that. I don’t think she gave up the fight but I think she was more at peace with it. She used to say to me ‘Ross is so lovely, he’s got such a lovely way of explaining things’ and I asked her if she felt better and felt she understood a bit better. And she said ‘it makes sense now, I understand that’. I think it made her feel a bit more at ease. I think she knew there was no going back this time unfortunately, because she had come back so many times before. I think it made her feel ‘if this is my time, then this is my time’.

“I was with her right to the end, which in some ways made it easier. I used to say I love her with all my heart always, and that’s what I’d say to her every night, and that’s what I said to her as she passed away.

“If it hadn’t been for St Helena Hospice and all the services it provides, we as a family wouldn’t have been able to make that happen.

“She’s certainly left a gap; everybody loved her and she had time for everybody. Her memory will always be with us. I’d love to have my mum able to be here with us this Christmas but I hope we did her proud. I’d like to think that she was happy.” 

This story may not be published elsewhere without express permission from St Helena Hospice.