Donna's Story

Previously, when Donna thought of the word hospice, she thought of dying – but that association changed completely after she became a patient at Teesside Hospice.

Donna shares how, in her words, a stay on our In-Patient Unit has given her 'so much confidence' and changed her misconceptions around hospice care:

“I was in James Cook and I wasn’t getting the care that I needed, so the pain team introduced me to the services available at Teesside Hospice, which me and my family thought was a good idea.

As soon as I came here I started putting weight on again, and felt I was being cared for properly. Coming to the hospice has helped me get back to my normal self again.

I know I’m really poorly, but I’ve come on leaps and bounds, it’s the best thing I could have done for myself.

I can do little bits like tidying around my room, making a coffee, asking for cake and custard - I can have what I want, when I want, to make me feel comfortable. Nothing is a problem at all.

You can chat to the nurses about anything, they’re always around for a conversation and I know that they genuinely care. Even down to knowing the little things about me like when I like a nap and how I love wearing my pjs, it’s those silly things that make a difference.

I have 5 different kinds of cancer, and I’ve been poorly for a year now. Coming here has brought a bit of me back. When people say the word hospice I just thought of dying, but it’s so much more than that, it’s a really nice little place. Knowing that someone is always there, and being able to get my pain under control has given me so much confidence.”

At Teesside Hospice, we’re here to provide the care, dignity and support our patients need, whenever they need it. Find out more about what we do by visiting our services page.