Padiham mum-of-two praises Pendleside Hospice who looked after dying husband for five years

Danielle Coan, from Padiham, said the hospice gave Dan five years of care and support after he started attending their services in 2012.

Dan Coan, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in February 2012 after being ill for around a year. He died on April 20th last year, aged 43.

She said: “Because he was so young he kept going for blood tests, but apparently bowel cancer in blood tests doesn’t show up as well in younger people.”

Soon after diagnosis Dan underwent treatment for radiotherapy and chemotherapy, before having an operation to remove the tumour and his bowel in October 2012.

Danielle added: “After the operation he had six months where they said he didn’t have it, which was quite nice because we got six months without all the worry and the strain. But when he went for his six month check up we found out the cancer had spread.

“From 2012 up until the middle of last year, he had chemotherapy every week so he obviously wasn’t healthy, but we managed and have a lot of good family times together. Dan’s mum asked him when he got told it was terminal if he had a bucket list and he said ‘I’ve got what I want, I’ve got my wife and I’ve got my children, I’ve got my caravan – that’s all I want’.”

Dan started going to Pendleside in 2012, attending hospice Day Services where he took part in a variety of sessions including tai chi sessions.

However, Danielle admits that she found it difficult to get him to attend at first.

She said: “I did really struggle at the beginning to get into the hospice but everyone’s so upbeat at Pendleside, it’s not all doom and gloom, everyone’s really helpful and up for a laugh. I think people have the perception that it’s the end when you go to the hospice but Dan started going in 2012 and he didn’t pass away until 2017, so he had five years of support and fun.

“He used to go into the tai chi lessons and it just sounded like they had such a laugh and he met some friends there. The hospice understood the situation he was in and that really helped him because it gave him people to talk to; I don’t think anyone else knows how to speak to you unless you’ve been in that situation.”

Nearly a year on and son James, 11, and daughter Amelia, nine, have been having counselling sessions at school through the hospice Family Support Service to help them in their grieving process.

As part of the sessions Amelia created a collage in memory of her dad, while James penned a poem which he read at the hospice’s Light up a Life service.