Daughter urges support for hospice ‘Celebrate Lives Lived’ campaign
A Staffordshire woman, whose mum was cared for at St Giles Hospice, is encouraging others to honour and remember those they love by making a special ‘Celebrate Lives Lived’ dedication.
For Lisa Thompson, age 35, from Tamworth, the campaign is a time of reflection and remembrance following the death of her mum, Julie Thompson, who received specialist care at St Giles at the end of her life.
Lisa is now sharing her story to help others understand the importance of hospice care and to encourage the community to make a dedication in St Giles’ latest fundraiser, Celebrate Lives Lived, so more families can receive the same care and support her family did in 2023.
Celebrate Lives Lived invites the local community to dedicate an orange Gerbera, in memory of a loved one, in the hospice Celebrate Lives Lived gardens at their Whittington and Sutton sites.
Orange Gerberas symbolise joy and warmth - providing a heartfelt tribute to loved ones. For years, St Giles has embraced this beautiful flower to help loved ones honour and remember those they’ve lost.
Lisa said: “My mum was amazing. She was a friend to everybody - funny, caring, always seeing the positive in every situation. She was an incredible mum, and my very best friend.
“Mum always spoke highly of St Giles. After she was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2023, she told us very clearly, even though she struggled to talk about the future, that when the time came, she wanted her last days to be at the hospice.
“The day after my birthday, in November 2023, she told us she was ready. And very quickly, she was brought to the Inpatient Unit, where she spent nine peaceful days being cared for by the team at St Giles, surrounded by the people who loved her most.”
After the care Lisa’s mum received, she made the decision to join the hospice herself and now works as part of the Fundraising team.
She continued: “After Mum died, I found myself looking for reasons to return to St Giles. I realised my life had changed, and that I wanted to work somewhere that made a difference to families like ours.
“Eventually, a role came up in the Fundraising team. Now, every day, I feel proud to play a small part in helping St Giles provide care for people when they need it most.”
Having experienced firsthand the difference hospice care makes, Lisa is now urging others to honour their loved ones while helping secure the future of this vital service.
Lisa said: “Mum is still very much part of my everyday life at St Giles. I’ve taken part in Celebrate Lives Lived for the past two years, dedicating a Gerbera in her memory. When I write her name or share her photo, it feels like I’m keeping her memory alive. I used to worry that people might stop talking about her or forget her, but Celebrate Lives Lived gives me, and hundreds of other families, the opportunity to remember those we love.”
The closing date for Celebrate Lives Lived dedications is midday on Wednesday, April 15. Dedications made after this time will not be included in the gardens at Whittington and Sutton but will still be displayed on the virtual Celebrate Lives Lived Garden on the hospice website.
To make a dedication, visit: stgileshospice.com/celebrateliveslived
