This October, we’re inviting our community to take part in our brand-new Autumn Active Challenge – a chance to set yourself a personal goal, get moving, and raise vital funds to support local patients and families through a Facebook fundraiser. Whether you walk, jog, run, swim, cycle, or move in your own way, the challenge is simple: complete 50 miles throughout October while making a difference for those who need Blythe House’s care.
People like Steve know just how life-changing that hospice care can be. After his beloved wife, Trish, was diagnosed with breast cancer and later secondary bone cancer, they both accessed support from Blythe House. Following Trish’s death in December 2021, Steve channelled his grief into something extraordinary – taking on a swimming challenge at Buxton pool, completing 1,000 lengths and raising an incredible £1,680 in her memory.
Now, as we launch The Autumn Active Challenge, we’re inspired by fundraisers like Steve, whose strength and determination help ensure Blythe House can continue to provide vital services for families across our community.
Steve and his beloved wife, Trish, accessed care and support at Blythe House following Trish’s diagnosis with breast cancer and secondary bone cancer.
Steve, a proud Yorkshireman from Halifax who has lived in Buxton since marrying Trish, explained: ‘Trish and I met in 1984 when I was in the army. We got married in 1987 and settled in Trish’s hometown of Buxton after I had left the army.
‘Our first son, Andrew, was born in 1989. Not long after, Trish was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy to be on the safe side. Everything was going well and she was on the verge of being given the all clear, when we were told the cancer had spread to her bones and lymph glands. She began monthly injections which kept the cancer at bay for many years. In 1992, our second son, Dale, was born.’
Steve remembers how Trish managed her condition over the years: ‘She coped so well – having regular medication and injections. Trish was my one true love; she was an amazing woman who cared for everyone around her. If she’d have wanted a pet tiger, I would have got her one!
‘Her lifelong dream was to live on a certain road in Buxton. When my son got married, we sold him and his wife our house and moved to the place Trish had always wanted to live.
‘In 2018, my son and daughter-in-law had a blessing of their marriage at St Peter’s Church in Fairfield. Unbeknown to us, they had also arranged for us to renew our wedding vows during the service – it was an amazing surprise.”
Sadly, Trish’s health worsened when her regular injections stopped working. Steve said: ‘The new medication made her so poorly. She was referred to Blythe House, where she attended support groups with other local patients and the wonderful nurses. She got so much out of them. Dr Sarah Parnacott, the consultant in palliative medicine, was amazing – she did anything and everything for Trish.’
Trish sadly died on the 11th December 2021, and Steve said: ‘I thought that would be the end of my connection with the hospice, but it wasn’t like that at all. Emma, one of the hospice nurses, phoned me every week to check in and see how I was doing. I can’t thank her enough – she was so supportive when I really needed it.’
Steve continues to feel part of the hospice community: ‘You feel a special connection when you walk through the doors. Everyone – volunteers, staff, patients, carers – is kind and welcoming. I go to the coffee mornings and have met some great people. It really is like a family. In Trish’s memory, I have raised funds for the hospice by swimming 1,000 lengths of Buxton pool, raising £1,680. I completed the final length on the third anniversary of Trish’s death. I am proud to share my story to show everyone how amazing Blythe House is – and to keep my wife’s name alive so her legacy lives on.’
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