North Devon man remembers late wife through hospice Light Up a Life campaign

Ken and Margaret-Anne enjoyed 45 years of blissful marriage and shared many happy times together.

This Christmas, Ken will be marking the memory of his beloved wife by lighting a candle and making a special dedication as part of North Devon Hospice’s Light Up a Life campaign.

Every year, Light Up a Life invites people from the North Devon community to come together to mark the memory of someone special at Christmas.

Those taking part can light a candle to keep their loved one’s memory shining bright and leave a personal dedication online in the hospice’s Virtual Glow Garden in exchange for a donation to North Devon Hospice. Every pound raised will help to provide vital hospice care to local families, ensuring they can spend precious time together this Christmas.

In 2016, Margaret-Anne, 62, was sadly diagnosed with a tumour on her lung. After several rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the couple received the news that her illness was terminal and were referred to North Devon Hospice.

“It was a very sad time and hearing that news was incredibly difficult,” said Ken.

“But the hospice were like angels; they swooped in and gave us the much-needed care my wife deserved after being let down by so many others.”

At first, the hospice’s Community Team visited Ken and Margaret-Anne at home, offering care and advice to ensure Margaret-Anne was as comfortable as possible.

“Having the hospice girls come in was amazing,” explained Ken. “Not only did they make Margaret-Anne and I feel well looked after but they also helped with practical things, like getting a special mattress to relieve pressure, which made all the difference.”

As Margaret-Anne’s illness progressed, Ken knew the hospice would be a sanctuary for the couple when the time came.

“On the morning Margaret-Anne died, we managed to get her into the hospice’s Bedded Unit and I could see the relief she felt,” added Ken. “When we came in, all that discomfort and angst just melted away; she was free. I will never forget what the nurses did for her and my family that day.”

While Ken still visits the hospice regularly and enjoys spending time in the Terrace Café, supporting Light Up a Life is a special way for him to celebrate his wife’s memory while helping to support others who need hospice care this Christmas and beyond.

“The hospice is and will always be very close to my heart,” said Ken. “It’s such a wonderful place and the people are so kind. Donating as part of Light Up a Life is the least I can do for this wonderful charity.”

If you’d like to join Ken in remembering someone you miss this Christmas by making a dedication as part of Light Up a Life, please visit northdevonhospice.org.uk/light.

You can also attend one of the following Light Up a Life services:
Loxhore Chapel - Sunday, November 24, 3pm
Fremington Methodist Church - Sunday, December 1, 6pm
Pip & Jim's, Ilfracombe - Tuesday, December 3, 7pm
Landkey Church - Wednesday,  December 4, 6pm
Grosvenor Church, Barnstaple - Friday, December 6, 7pm
West Buckland Church - Sunday, December 8, 6pm
All Hallows, Woolsery - Tuesday, December 10, 6.30pm