Single mum Kirsty List, aged 33, has found Hospiscare an invaluable source of support since her asbestos cancer was identified, yet initially she was reluctant to contact the charity at all.
“I was absolutely adamant that I didn’t need any type of care. I certainly didn’t need Hospiscare. In my head it felt very negative, like if I took a step through the door I wouldn’t be able to come back out again. I was scared it would be full of old people; grey and clinical.
“The vision I had in my head was very different from the reality. It took two attempts for me to go. The first time I went back out the door straight away. The second time was still scary, but completely the opposite of everything I had expected. The lights are bright, the people are not doddery, everyone’s happy and young and vibrant and genuinely pleased to see you.
“It has meant so much to have somewhere safe to come and somebody safe to talk to. Everything revolves around my daughter. Aimee is five and a half and she knows absolutely everything about my illness, including that I am dying – at a five year old level. She’s just amazing… she takes everything in her stride.
“Hospiscare helped make sure I could travel to have a family Christmas. They’ve also been helpful with legal advice. If anything happens to me, my mum has power of attorney to make sure everything’s safe for Aimee, there is a trust fund for her and my Will is in place.
“It is difficult to think about your own mortality but everything’s less scary once you’ve had the conversation for the first time.”
Kirsty died on the 14th June 2017, aged 34
