Anusha’s plea for the community to support St Wilfrid’s Hospice

This spring Anusha – whose mum was cared for by St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Eastbourne - is sharing her story and asking the local community to help fund a nurse for a year, so that more people can receive compassionate care at the end of their life.

“My mum, Marianne, was my world – my greatest supporter, and as I grew up, my best friend,” said Anusha. “She always had time to listen and was the only person who truly understood me. When Mum was diagnosed with breast cancer, our world changed overnight. But even through all the uncertainty, she remained so strong – not just for herself, but for us all. She used to say, ‘We’ll get through this together, one day at a time.’ And that’s exactly what we did.”

When Anusha was 15, her mum’s cancer progressed suddenly. She became unconscious and the family were told she had only hours left. Anusha explained: “I was in tears and said to my dad, ‘What do we do now?’ He replied: ‘We need a miracle.’ Somehow that night, through her love, strength and fight, she beat the odds. And then we got another miracle – St Wilfrid’s.

“From the moment Mum arrived at the hospice for end of life care, she was treated with such kindness. They let me sleep beside her on her first night. They made her comfortable, took her pain away, and we had a movie night together. It felt like I was a child again, sharing what felt like a normal Friday evening – something we hadn’t been able to do at home.”

Anusha is now ‘on a mission’ to ensure others can experience the same ‘compassion, dignity and love.’ “I thought the word hospice meant the end. But what I discovered was something entirely different. It wasn’t a place of endings – it was a place where I could just be a daughter again, not a carer, not someone holding it all together. They gave me comfort and the reassurance I wasn’t alone, something I will never forget.”

Anusha is asking the local community to help raise £46,415 by 15^th May – enough to cover the average cost of a nurse for a year. Dr David Barclay, Medical Director at St Wilfrid’s Hospice, explained: “Our expert end of life care is only possible thanks to our wonderful community. Many families who walk through our doors are surprised to hear we receive very little NHS funding, meaning more than 70% of our services must be funded by donations. With a new year of stretched budgets and funding shortfalls ahead, appeals like Anusha’s are more important than ever and we are hugely grateful to her for sharing her story.”

You can read more about Anusha’s story at stwhospice.org/anusha.

St Wilfrid’s Hospice provides high-quality care and support for people across Eastbourne, Seaford, Hailsham, Uckfield, Heathfield (and all points between) with life-limiting illnesses.