A dad of two, whose love of art brought joy to so many, is being honoured with a ribbon in the garden at LOROS Hospice.
Chris Faulkner, a talented amateur artist, drew pictures from his bed on the Inpatient Ward at LOROS, giving them away to nurses to show his appreciation for their care.
Now Chris’s widow, Lorraine, is supporting the hospice’s Ribbons for Remembrance campaign to leave a legacy of her beloved husband whilst raising vital funds for the hospice.
Lorraine said: “Chris only really started drawing once he became ill, but it quickly became really important to him.
Chris’s pictures were such a hit with LOROS staff that he started offering to take requests to draw family pets.
“He loved the pleasure his art gave people – he drew pictures of the nurse’s pet dogs, birds and flowers. He always said he wanted to give them something personal to say thank you for the help they’d given him.”
Chris’s love of nature meant that tying a ribbon in his memory was a fitting tribute. Lorraine remembers the nurses pushing Chris’s bed out into the court yard so he could feel the sun on his face and see the trees and flowers.
“Chris loved drawing nature so tying a ribbon in the Hospice gardens for him is a lovely idea. LOROS looked after Chris really well and it’s good to feel we can support the Hospice as well as celebrate Chris’s legacy,” Lorraine added.
Ribbons for Remembrance is part of LOROS Hospice’s Big Day out, a free, fun day for all the family, held on Sunday 4th September, 10am-4pm.
Lisa Wilson, Fundraising Coordinator at LOROS, said: “We hope lots of people will choose to tie a ribbon and remember their loved one. We aim to create a beautiful sea of colourful tributes in the Hospice gardens, and invite everyone to come along on Sunday 4th September to join in.”
Elsewhere at LOROS’s Big Day Out there will be a host of family entertainment including food and craft stalls, outdoor games, bouncy castles and go-karting and fluffy alpacas.
Find out more at loros.co.uk/ribbons