Having lived all her life in and around Windsor, Pat Tripp has been aware of Thames Hospice for as long as she can remember and so coming here for vital care and support held no fears for her. In fact, Pat’s weekly visits have become a highlight of her life as it means she regularly gets to see a very special family member. Pat shares her story below.
Throughout their childhood, Pat knew she could count on her big sister Maureen. Now, with both of them living with serious heart conditions, Pat, 87, still looks up to Maureen, 89.
The pair of them, and their younger sister, Jen, have all spent their entire lives in the Windsor area, bringing up their families and working at major local employers like Horlicks in Slough.
Pat recalls a happy childhood as part of a close family and one in which Maureen always had her back.
“Maureen was a mother figure. If I got into trouble and Mum told me off, then Maureen would cry,” Pat remembers.
Now, more than 80 years on, both come to Thames Hospice every week to access outpatient services in the Paul Bevan Wellbeing Centre – an opportunity for the siblings to meet up and continue enjoying each other’s company, as well as the company of new friends and the Thames Hospice Team.
“It makes my day, in fact it makes my week. It’s really nice to have something to do and everyone is very friendly here. I’ve always been one for company. I enjoy the crafting too although I’m not as good as Maureen.
“I’m very grateful for being able to come. It’s lovely to be able to come on the same day as Maureen. Her daughter brings her, and my daughter brings me. So, I get to see my sister at least once a week which is nice because we are very close.”
Company is something Pat has missed for the last five years since her husband Alan died. They were school sweethearts, married aged 17 and Pat says it’s been very hard losing her ‘best friend’.
With a son and daughter, four grandchildren and a great-grandson, Pat says family has always been very important to her and while she’s pragmatic about what the future holds, she’s also doing her utmost to make the most of what time she has left.
“I am aware my days are numbered but I am ready to go when the good lord sends for me. I’m trying to walk more. It’s my determination. I think to myself, if I’m going to stick around for a bit, I should make myself useful.
“I have definitely improved because of my determination, the support from the Hospice and of course my family - they don’t want me to die.”
When she stops to think for a moment about what Thames Hospice means to her, Pat says: “Comfort and caring. I’d be a bit lost without it really – it would be sad.”
If you’d like to find out why Pat’s big sister Maureen thinks of Thames Hospice as like her ‘second home’, click here read her story.
Our services are free of charge to all those in our community who need vital hospice care but this is only made possible through the charitable support and generosity of our amazing community. We need to raise £34,000 each day to fund our services 365 days a year to the people who need us most.
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