Grace's Story

"Although my dad was only in Thames Hospice for just over a week, I felt we were given so much support then and to this day. Not only were the nurses on his ward welcoming and always incredible, the doctors made sure we were updated every day, which is something I'll forever be grateful for. When dad passed away, my social worker with the Hospice (Sonia Binge) came to be with us; after this, I could not be more thankful for everything she does for me, like meeting on a regular basis where I can rant, cry and receive comfort and support, if and when it's necessary. My dad went from this world knowing that his girls were going to be well-looked after by these amazing workers at the Hospice!

"It was helpful to have support from people outside of the family, like Sonia, because they can give different advice on how to deal with my own feelings, as well as allow me to talk about my struggles with the rest of the family too; families are always going to struggle and so help from others is very necessary.

"Sonia not only supported me with the loss of my dad but also listened when I spoke about my eating disorder and problems with school. As a teenage girl, I am going through a lot of things, whether my dad was ill with cancer or not, and so she allowed me to talk through everything and follows up on what I mentioned to her in previous meetings. My anorexia became worse as things with dad did too, but I knew and still know that I can recover with people like Sonia there for me.

"With so much going on in my life right now, I am happy with the pace at which I'm receiving support. It's been mentioned what we can do regarding the grief and activities surrounding dad, which I'm happy to continue to do as I become stronger. It makes me feel good knowing that everything provided to me will be there until I'm ready to manage things altogether. The Hospice will always be there to visit and contact for the whole of my family and others going through similar situations."