DENDY Vickery has every reason to support and fundraise for St David’s Hospice Care.

When her father Alun John Jennings was taken ill he went to hospital in Cardiff. He needed end of life care, but did not want to spend his time in the hospital.

Mrs Vickery did not know where to turn.

“My father was a patient in Llandough Hospital and he was very poorly. He was extremely unhappy there and wanted to come home and never go back to hospital. He went back home to Rhiwbina, but it wasn’t working so he moved into my home in Marshfield.”

“I gave up work to look after him as he needed palliative care at my home. My 87-year-old mother was living with us too. I didn’t know who to turn to. I went to social services and they sent me to St David’s Hospice Care.”

This began Mrs Vickery’s long association with the hospice. However, she had been involved in raising money for them in the past, but had not known about their work. “I did a cycle ride in 2014 from France to Holland and Belgium to raise money for the For Luca charity and St David’s. We raised £5,200 between us, but I didn’t know about hospice or what they did.”

After Mr Jennings moved into his daughter’s home she got in touch with St David’s Hospice Care and accessed a range of services in the last few months of his life.

“The girls who came were amazing. When they came my father looked at me to say ‘Don’t send me back to hospital’. Corrine the nurse said to him ‘Mr Jennings do everything to keep you here as long as we can.’ Which they did.”

“They got me equipment like a chair for his favourite spot overlooking the garden, which is where his ashes still are. I was given a commode, shower chair, and a reflexologist come to do work on dad’s feet - even that gave me some respite. Nurses came every day to change his dressing.

I used almost every service St David’s offer.”

Being able to spend his last days at home surrounded by his family was a huge comfort to Mr Jennings and his family. “They were such a happy two months. Mentally he was fine, just physically he was ill, and he just wanted to be with us. My father loved everyone who came from St David’s and was he was so grateful. He knew he was dying, but they help make his final months such a happy, happy time.”

“St David’s means the world to me. I couldn’t have coped without them. They gave me confidence to do things like change his dressings and they said I could call them 24 hours, which I sometimes did.”

In 2016 Mrs Vickery cycled from Calais to Ypres for the charity and this year she is planning a fundraising bike ride. Fundraising has added a whole new dimension to her life as she has met lots of new people and been to different places.

“I have made fantastic friends through fundraising. There are six of us and we all cycle together and all raise money together. We will ring each other and arrange a cycle ride and stop for coffee and we talk about fundraising.”

“I would encourage everyone to take part. I want to give something back because St David’s Hospice Care have been so helpful to me.”

The 125 Appeal aims to raise money to help the 3,200 patients and families like Mrs Vickery who use St David’s Hospice Care’s services. We want to raise money to help with the different work that the St David’s Hospice Care does in our community.

This is where we need you. We are looking for fundraisers to help make this campaign a success. We are recruiting people from all over the region to take part in this special appeal that will help the St David’s Hospice Care.

We aim to recruit 125 fundraising teams to join us. We are especially want 125 themed fundraising ideas. Would you do a 125 themed challenge? You could dance for 125 minutes, do a 125 mile bike ride, do 125 star jumps? All fundraising ideas are welcome.

If you would like to get involved then you can find out more at www.stdavidshospicecare.org/event-details/125-appeal/

What the money you raise will pay for:

£1.25 will buy a cup of tea, a sandwich and a slice of homemade cake for a patient.

£12.50 will buy a uniform for a nurse.

£12.50 will buy 575 surgical gloves for our nurses.

£12.50 will buy art and craft materials for a child who needs support.

£125.00 pays for one and a half sessions at our day hospice.

£1,250.00 will pay for a three day stay for a patient in our in-patient unit at St Anne’s.

£1,250.00 allows our clinical nurse specialist to provide and plan the care for four patients.

£1,250.00 buys a syringe driver and includes maintenance for one year.

£12,500.00 buys three specialist beds and specialist mattresses for the new hospice.

£125,000 funds 10 days of our charitable work.

Text to donate You can donate £5 to the Argus 125 appeal by texting ARGUS 125 to 70500. UK taxpayers can also add Gift Aid to your donation by filling in a simple form online.

You can also donate at www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/sdf/SWArgus125

While you might be aware of some of the work St David’s Hospice Care offers, they offer a range of services for people of all ages.

They work alongside patients and hope to support those at the most difficult times of their lives. Another important aspect of their work is that of the Family Support Team who offer families support and advice to deal with Another vital service we are raising money for is Unicorn. The service does vital work providing specialist bereavement support to children and young people.

Services available from St David’s Hospice Care: 

• Clinical Nurse Specialists in Palliative Care, attached to designated GP practices
• Hospice at Home
• Family Support
• Social Workers
• Welfare Rights Advisors
• Complementary Therapies
• Unicorn – Support for Children
• Complementary Therapy Out-Reach Clinics
• In Patient Unit
• Carers Groups
• Education
• Chaplain Service
• 24 hr On – Call Service
• Specialist Equipment Loan
• Support for Care Homes
• Bereavement Care