Rebecca Iley, aged 31, from Quorn, first encountered LOROS Hospice as a child when her grandma died there. 13 years later her grandad also came to LOROS in his final days and then a few years ago her dad was also admitted to their inpatient ward.
The experience sounds traumatic but Rebecca found that LOROS’s approach made it bearable.
She said, "When you think of hospice care you think of dark depressing places, but LOROS is the total opposite. The moment you walk in, there seems an air of calm about the place. Nothing was too big an ask for the staff when my dad was a patient.”
Rebecca’s dad was an inpatient on the Ward at LOROS for five weeks before he died.
“I remember being there one evening when a member of the kitchen team asked if they could get anything for Dad. He asked if there was any lemon meringue pie left from lunch that day. I don’t know anywhere else you would be presented with a huge slice of lemon meringue pie at about 9pm, just because it’s exactly what you fancied. It really is the little things that make such a huge difference here at LOROS.”
The care of the nurses and support staff helped Rebecca to cope.
“It was an incredibly difficult time for our family, but we are so thankful for the support of LOROS, and the care and compassion they showed, not only to Dad, but to our family as a whole.”
Rebecca’s family’s experience of LOROS had such an impact on her, she began to support the charity in various ways including working in the LOROS shop in Loughborough and becoming a speaking out volunteer where she talks to groups to dispel myths over hospice care.
Rebecca is also helping LOROS sell raffle tickets for its Spring into Summer raffle, which has a top prize of £5,000 and is open now until 7th June.
She says, “Money raised from this raffle will go directly to supporting the care services at LOROS, helping them to continue supporting patients and families, just like mine. “I am so grateful to each and every one of you that purchases a ticket. It really will make such a huge difference to so many people."
Raffle tickets can be purchased from the comfort of your own home, for just £1 per ticket, at loros.co.uk/support-us/raffle/or call the LOROS lottery office on 0116 231 8430.
