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This month, each of our sites will be taking on the ‘Walk All Over Cancer’ challenge, to help fundraise for cancer research. Kim Patrick is one of our amazing Senior Rehabilitation Assistants at our South Newton Hospital site. Kim has so kindly shared her story on why she is taking part in the brilliant cause.
Kim’s Story
I am doing the ‘Walk All Over Cancer Challenge’ in memory of my dad, Frank Sykes who passed away from prostate cancer on the 2nd of October 2021. My dad was diagnosed 2 years ago and in the beginning, I was taking him to his appointments and going to Oxford for all his scans and SDH for infusions every month.
In the last 5 months of his life, he started to lose balance and fall over and then he lost the use of his left hand. At first, the doctors thought he suffered a stroke, so he had MRI scans to investigate. Sadly, the scans discovered that the cancer had spread to his spine. This affected the use of his legs and ultimately, he was unable to walk and had to be hoisted in and out of bed which he hated. Due to his loss of mobility, we had to organise a round-the-clock carer to live with him.
I made sure I did everything for him, the shopping, collecting his medication, arranging doctors to visit and near the end, district nurses for pressure areas and catheter care. He was given 3 months to live on the 11th of June which he was unaware of as he did not want to know how long he had left. In the last 3 weeks of his life, my sister and I found it very hard to sit with him knowing that his time was coming to an end.
It was heartbreaking as we had to discuss his funeral arrangements with him and get his plans finalised. In the end, he was made comfortable, and he had the best send-off anyone could have asked for.
My dad was my rock and best friend. I loved him with all my heart and miss him dearly. I’m doing this challenge to help find a cure for this disease, so no one has to suffer anymore.
Thank you for sharing this heart touching story, Kim.
To support Renovo Care Group with this amazing cause, you can donate here https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/renovo-care-group
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