Shortly after his 25th birthday Ryan died at the hospice, where he wanted to be, after being cared for at home. With the support of St Helena Hospice, he was able to spend his last remaining months making memories together with the love of his life, his wife Danielle.

“Having St Helena’s support meant we didn’t have to worry about all the other stuff; being able to just focus on spending time together was the nicest thing. I remember Ryan enjoying the sensory bath there. It’s just little things like that. Nothing in particular, just remembering the nice times that we had spending time together.

I will always treasure the happy memories we made and feel grateful for the time we had together.”

This year has been heart-breaking for many people, with the pandemic preventing our patients and their loved ones making as many memories together as they normally would. 

Memories can give us so much comfort and joy. They allow us to grow, teach us important lessons and have the ability to evoke powerful emotions as we remember our loved ones and times we once shared together. They are also a huge part of what shapes our future, so taking the time to remember and having time to make every memory matter is vital.

As we look to the future, please help more people like Ryan and Danielle to spend quality time making lasting memories, together, right until the end of life, by donating to the St Helena Hospice Time to Remember appeal. Thank you.