Weston man to take on Men’s March in memory of wife and sister
Paul and his wife Yvonne. - Credit: Archant
A family man from Weston is taking part in the Men’s March in memory of his wife and sister who were cared for by the hospice last year.
Paul Newham's wife and sister were both given end-of-life treatment at Weston Hospicecare in 2019.
Paul's wife Yvonne was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer in September 2018 and she spent her last few weeks in the hospice's inpatient unit.
More: Hospice's Men's March is huge success.
Paul describes the charity as a 'beacon of hope' and is determined to raise as much as he can for the hospice during the fundraiser on March 14.
He said: "I organised visits from Yvonne's friends, neighbours and work colleagues via social media to enable her to say goodbye to as many people as possible.
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"I remember sitting by her bed in her room with the French windows open, the cool breeze wafting the net curtains and the noise of the birds chirping away outside as Yvonne dozed peacefully in her bed.
"It was a very serene and peaceful experience and I can't fault the quality or kindness of the care given by all the staff and volunteers at the hospice."
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Yvonne died on July 4, but shortly after Paul received the devastating news his sister had terminal skin cancer.
He said: "On return from a holiday, my sister was diagnosed with a rare form of skin cancer and given just four to six weeks.
"She died on September 22 and also had support from the hospice through the community nurse specialists.
"It meant my mother had lost both a daughter and a daughter in-law to cancer in just a few months."
Paul has had an unimaginably tough year, but his experiences have driven him to do as much as he can to support the hospice.
He volunteered at the Moonlight Beach Walk and has signed up to take part in the Men's March which will see walkers trek along the coast between the Grand Pier and Sand Point in aid of the charity.
Participants will receive a free pint of Thatcher's Cider, a Pieminster pie and a chance to watch England's decisive Six Nations match against Italy.
The Men's Mark covers a 10-mile route, which starts and finishes at the Grand Pier.
Entry is £18.50 for adults and £12.50 for children.
You can sign up to the event by logging on to westonhospicecare.org.uk/mensmarch or by calling 01934 423900 for registration support.
