Hospice worker tells of 'precious' moments with late husband - and urges support for charity's raffle
Staff member tells how colleagues helped her, and calls for Salopians to enter £5,000 jackpot draw
A healthcare assistant working at a Shropshire charity is urging supporters to get behind its annual summer raffle and support the care it gave to her husband before he passed away.
Sharon Love has worked at Severn Hospice for the past eight years and in that time has cared for and supported hundreds of families living with incurable illness.
But last year, her husband Danny was referred to the hospice by his doctor for end-of-life care after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Now she is asking people to support the charity’s summer raffle, buy tickets, and help it continue to provide dignified, loving and compassionate care to local people.
Sharon said: “Having worked with patients for eight years, I’ve always been aware of our exceptional care, but it was only when my darling husband became a patient, did I truly see the difference hospice care makes.
“The hospice team ensured Danny’s pain and symptoms were controlled, and I was able to simply be his wife again, holding his hand and sharing his last precious moments. The hospice team is like a family to me, and I don’t know how I would have coped without them.”
Tickets for the raffle, which cost £1 each, are on sale online until Friday, July 3 at severnhospice.org.uk/raffle and in the charity’s high street shops and receptions at its hospices in Shrewsbury and Telford.
The draw, for the £5,000 jackpot and 42 other cash prizes, is on July 10. Winning numbers will be posted on its website. Players must be 18+.
Karen Swindells, head of individual giving at Severn Hospice, said: “Our raffles are vital fundraisers for us and proceeds from each ticket sold enable us to do what we do, free of charge, for so many people facing heartbreak.
“Our staff provide compassionate and dignified care, not only to our patients but also to their families and friends, and this just would not be possible without our incredible supporters.
“By supporting our raffles, attending our events, visiting our shops, giving donations and leaving legacies, we are able to provide this care now and for the future.
“Thank you to everyone who buys a ticket – you are making a real difference. Good luck in the raffle: it’s because you care that we can.”
In the past year, Severn Hospice has cared for more than 3,000 people living with incurable illness. It has to raise £2 for every £3 it spends and 84p of every £1 donated is spent on caring, with the remaining 16p used to raise the next £1.
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.