Together, we’re making every moment matter.
Birmingham Hospice provides specialist palliative and end of life care for people living with a terminal illness.
At our hospice sites in Selly Park and Erdington, and in the community, care can include 24-hour care in our Inpatient Units, support at home, day services, counselling, wellbeing, pharmacy and therapies.
By signing up to Ride the Reservoir and fundraising for us, you will directly support people like Mark and Stephanie.
Mark’s story
Mark Beesley took on 100 miles of cycling at Ride the Reservoir last year, raising £2,671 in memory of his wife Stephanie, who was cared for by the hospice.
In July 2022, Stephanie was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and was told by her oncologist it was terminal. She had just turned 40.
Mark remembers: “Steph was given the option of chemotherapy, which would have prolonged her life by a few months, but the quality of her life would have completely diminished, so she made the decision to not have any further treatment, and it was her wish to be at home for her remaining days.”
Stephanie was referred to Birmingham Hospice, and arrangements were made so that Mark could care for her at home. The hospice’s Community Team created an end of life care plan to ensure Stephanie’s wishes were heard and carried out. They also made sure she had all the equipment she needed and arranged for nurses to visit.
“Steph’s condition worsened”, recalls Mark, “she became bed-bound, and I took time off work to be her full-time carer. Having support from the hospice was such a help – from arranging any equipment we needed, to just having someone to contact with questions. It was incredible.”
Thanks to the support Mark received, Stephanie was able to die at home, as she wished.
After this difficult time, Mark was offered bereavement counselling from the hospice. He said: “I found it really useful, and counselling definitely helped me navigate the stages of grief. It helped me understand why I was feeling the way I was and helped me address things moving forward. It was also a sounding board without judgement. It was an invaluable service that I got from the hospice."
Remembering his wife, Mark said: “Steph was beautiful and very glamorous. She loved travelling and loved her music – she really enjoyed going to gigs. She had lots of friends and would always make time for them.”
Mark decided to sign up for the 100 mile option at the Ride the Reservoir cycle ride, after seeing the event online. Mark said: “Since Steph passed away, I’ve taken up cycling. I was looking for a longer bike ride to take part in and the fact I could do this for Birmingham Hospice is great. I took part with Steph’s best friend’s dad, Martin, as he is a keen cyclist."
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