Nelson family share moving story of care dad received at Burnley's Pendleside Hospice ahead of the Light Up a Life event

“So when I was asked to launch and support the Light Up a Life campaign, I had no hesitation, due to the care our family received at Pendleside Hospice.”

Those are the words of the daughter of a Nelson man whose family is supporting the charity’s annual event this year. Sponsored by Alderson and Horan Funeral Services, Light Up a Life will take place in the hospice grounds on Sunday, December 17th, from 2-30pm.

Sarah Jarjue’s father, Anthony Ashworth, passed away in April, after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2020.

What started with a niggly cough, soon turned into Anthony needing to have part of his lung removed. While bouts of chemotherapy and radiotherapy initially seemed to work, subsequent scans revealed the cancer had spread to his bones and brain, and that another operation was needed.

By January 2022, he started to experience significant pain and discomfort and was admitted to Pendleside’s inpatient unit for pain management.

“The targeted radiotherapy reduced my dad’s pain and he was able to come home after three weeks. My dad absolutely loved it at the hospice!

“Food was his solace and he always used to talk about how delicious the meals were. Restrictions were still in place by this point, but myself and my family enjoyed sitting in the gardens with my dad on those chilly winter days.”

Due to Covid restrictions, Anthony’s family couldn’t see him regularly. As a close-knit family, they wanted nothing more than to give him a hug, sit by his side and watch football with him on a Sunday afternoon.

Anthony moved onto immunotherapy but after eight months of hope, the cancer had again spread and by October 2022, he was told he had just months to live.

“Throughout his illness, my dad was in and out of hospital with infections. Ultimately, in March 2023 after a week of IV antibiotics, the doctor confirmed he had days to live, and we needed to bring him home. My dad wasn’t quite himself in those last few days, but he knew what this meant.

“Hospice at Home care was quickly put in place, and I can’t thank Pendleside nurse Kate Gerrety enough for organising the support we needed. The Pendleside nurses worked around the clock, right up until my dad’s passing.

“My mum, Linda, had taken time off to be with my dad, and I moved into the family home to be with him. My mum works as a nurse at Pendleside Hospice, so having the nurses stay with us brought her the peace of mind she needed.

“After my dad died, my eldest daughter, Elizabeth (13) and I, received bereavement support from Pendleside’s Family Support team. I found I was being incredibly hard on myself and the sessions helped me understand that everyone deals with grief differently.

“Pendleside is an incredible charity and we are so grateful for all they have done for us. It will be an honour to shine a light on the wonderful man that was my dad.”

There will be a choir, service as well as winter food and refreshments at the event.

To dedicate a light to a loved one, visit pendleside.org.uk/light-up-a-life