Bereaved husband urges people to join in colourful week

Gareth Hine’s wife Karen, who had bowel cancer which had spread to her lymph nodes, died at St Giles Hospice in Lichfield in August 2021 aged 49, following nine months of care from the hospice.

Mr Hine, who has two sons, is urging people to join the colourful Orange Week campaign at home, work or school to help raise funds to ensure that St Giles can continue providing care and support for local patients, and their families, living with a terminal illness.

During Orange Week, taking place between Monday, April 25 and Sunday, May 1, everyone is invited to raise money by going orange for a day or even a whole week or by taking part in orange-themed activities to support the hospice.

The 50-year-old said: "Orange Week is a fantastic idea which gives everyone a great way to get involved in raising funds for St Giles, whether they are individuals, local businesses, clubs or other organisations.

"This fun event is about pulling together as a community to celebrate and support this vital service for local people and I would encourage everybody to sign up and take part if they can.

"St Giles provides the sort of personal, specialised care that is remarkable. We should do everything we can to make sure that the hospice is here for other families just like ours in the future when they need it."

He said that despite being initially reluctant to agree to hospice care, Karen immediately responded to the supportive environment at St Giles.

He said: "When Karen arrived at St Giles she was immediately given pain management support and it was just what she needed.

"We knew that she was getting the sort of care she wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else, it was truly unique and we were all so thankful.

"The staff are caring and go above and beyond the call of duty to support the families they look after.

"The nurses knew the family were all Aston Villa season ticket holders and they asked the club if they could do anything for the children.

"The kids were then presented with a Villa shirt signed by the team, which was so kind and thoughtful.

"My sons were over the moon and it is the little things like that which make things more bearable for them.

"At a time in her life when Karen felt she had nowhere else to turn we found St Giles and it made such a difference, so it’s just an amazing place."

Gareth and his sons received bereavement support from the hospice team during his wife’s final days to prepare them for their loss.

Following her death, donations from Karen’s funeral went to St Giles and Karen’s brother, Stephen Smith, took part in Cycle Autumn in 2021 to thank St Giles for caring for his sister.

In total, the family have raised more than £5,000 to support the hospice.

Chloe Herbert, Head of Fundraising at St Giles, said: "The generosity of fundraisers like Gareth and his family, and the people who take part in events like Orange Week, makes a huge difference to the work that we can do.

"Whether you’re at home, work or school, getting involved with Orange Week couldn’t be simpler.

"You could get up and go orange for a day or week, rock your brightest orange outfit, throw an orange themed party, or bake some tasty orange treats and you can request our fantastic free fundraising pack for further ideas.

"Just remember to donate to St Giles at the same time and share your pictures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with the hashtag #OrangeWeek to share the fun."

For further information, or to request a free fundraising pack, go to stgileshospice.com/orangeweek