Join us to remember your loved ones as part of our Light Up A Life campaign
We understand how difficult it is to experience Christmas without our loved ones and, in turn, how important someone’s last Christmas is. Through Light Up a Life, we aim to bring the community together to remember our loved ones and also shine a light on the support we offer throughout the festive season.
As part of Light Up A Life, we will be hosting a special remembrance service at Teesside Hospice at 5pm on Sunday 13th December. The service will feature readings from staff and supporters, an opportunity to place a dedication to your loved one on our Christmas tree, and time to remember and reflect on special memories.
One family who will be joining us at Light Up A Life are Pauline’s loved ones. Pauline worked at Teesside Hospice as a Support Nurse for 22 years, before returning as a patient and later passing away on our Inpatient Unit.
Christmas was Pauline's favourite time of year, from the decorations and presents to the family traditions. For example, Pauline and her husband have kept the same angel on top of the tree for forty years, looking tired, a little tacky, and once nearly thrown out, but the family knows now they could never let it go. It's a symbol of every Christmas they spent together.
"She loved it," Genna, Pauline’s daughter, shared. "The house turned into a grotto from the first Saturday of the month."
This Christmas, the family is doing everything they can to carry Pauline's traditions forward, in their own way, because that's what Christmas means to them now: creating new memories that Pauline would be proud of.
It's also a time the family comes together with the rest our Teesside Hospice community, dedicating a star to loved ones they've lost, including Pauline, and attending the Light Up a Life service as a way to remember and to give something back to the place that did everything possible to care for her.
“We have supported Light Up a Life as a family for many years, remembering all the loved ones we have lost. Last year was our first year without mum, and now this year will be no different.”
To find out more about Light Up A Life and make your dedication, visit our Light Up A Life page.
We're changing lives across Teesside by supporting people and families who've been affected by a terminal illness.
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Whether you want to talk to one of our professional staff or find out how you can get involved, please get in touch.