Kate’s call to support Marie Curie’s appeal

Kate Butler is supporting the campaign after her husband was looked after by the charity’s nurses.

When she found out that her husband, Dave, had terminal cancer in February 2014, it was like a bomb had been dropped.

Kate didn’t know who to ask for help or what would happen next. All she knew was that she was losing her husband who she had been married to for 24 years.

At the age of 69, Dave sadly passed away 15 months following the shattering diagnosis.

During the three months leading to his death, he received care and support from Marie Curie nurses.

Kate explained: “Having a nurse at home during the night gave me peace of mind so that I could get some much-needed rest. I felt confident that they would wake me if things changed and knew he was in safe hands which was incredibly reassuring.

“One of the nurses took a particular liking to our dog, Ollie, and when I went upstairs to get some sleep one evening I could hear the dog’s tail thumping on the floor as the nurse fussed and played with him. This was a huge relief as I was conscious that Ollie was being overlooked as I was focused on caring for Dave and maintaining the tasks of every-day life.

“I don’t know what I would have done if that service wasn’t available. The nurses helped to take the feeling of helplessness away.”

In 2015, Kate decided to volunteer for Marie Curie as a way of giving back so that other people living with a terminal illness can experience the same standard of care that she did at such a difficult time.

Marie Curie is holding collections between Monday, March 11 and Friday, March 13 at Morrisons.

A street collection will take place in Scarborough town centre on Saturday, April 4.

If you have any spare time on your hands and are keen to volunteer for a worthy cause then sign up for Great Daffodil Appeal collections by visiting www.mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil or calling free on 0800 3047025.