A FATHER with terminal cancer is backing a campaign to raise £200,000 to help refurbish inpatient bedrooms at the Barnsley Hospice.
David Tattershall was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in March. He is calling on people to support the hospice’s Comfort and Care campaign which aims to raise £200,000 to fund the work, after he was referred for a one-week stay to help manage his pain in November.
David, 47, of Newhill Road, Monk Bretton, said: “The diagnosis was a bolt from the blue, and I very quickly discovered the cancer had spread to my liver, lymph nodes and stomach. The pain became all-encompassing but when it was suggested to me that a stay in the hospice could help I initially thought ‘no way, that’s where people go to die.’
“I could not have been more wrong. Within a couple of hours my pain was under control, and I was made to feel comfortable and reassured. All my questions were answered and I could tell the staff genuinely cared. My family could come and go whenever they wanted and even my dog was allowed to visit.
“My stay at the hospice completely turned me around and if the money raised through the Comfort and Care campaign could make it even more comfortable for other people, that would be incredible.”
The planned improvements will include specialist beds, furniture, flooring and décor, and will help patients and their families feel more comfortable and relaxed, while providing a peaceful and homely environment.
More than £41,000 has been raised so far, through community fundraising, corporate donations and charitable trusts.
David added: “I used to think Barnsley Hospice was just a place people went to die, but they have taught me to live - which is why I’m getting behind this appeal. It’s an incredible place, it really is.”
