Patrick Mitchell
Patrick Mitchell is a psychiatric nurse. Patrick's mother had lung cancer and received support from Marie Curie Nurses before she passed away in 2010. Patrick talks about the help his mother and family receieved.
"My mum was 84 when she was told she had just six months to live. It was lung cancer.
"I’d already lost my dad to throat cancer in 1986. So as soon as I found out about Mum’s illness, I took three months off my work as a psychiatric nurse to look after her with my brothers and sisters.
"Mum needed around-the-clock care, and soon it got too much for us to cope with. We were so grateful when our district nurse told us we could get help from Marie Curie Nurses.
"Our nurse was amazing. She looked after Mum for five days and nights a week. On her late shift, she’d be by Mum’s side from 10pm until seven in the morning.
"The nurse allowed us all to get some much-needed rest and quality time together as a family while all Mum’s care needs were looked after.
"When we were caring for Mum on our own, we were so focused on looking after her that we’d forget to have proper conversations with her. But all that changed when our nurse came along.
"Mum was so happy in her own house. But without the help we got from Marie Curie Nurses, we just wouldn’t have been able to care for her at home.
"I can’t praise the Marie Curie Nurses enough. At Mum’s funeral, we raised £520 for the charity, which I hope will help other families going through what we did."