‘There is no way on earth we could have achieved Mum’s final wish to die at home without the hospice team. I wish Mum was aware enough to know how amazing Blythe House was.’
Blythe House Hospice’s Roaming Car service provided vital overnight care and support to Marie, from Dove Holes, during the final days of her life.
Marie was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2022 after visiting her GP about significant weight gain. At first, she and her family thought it might simply be the effects of getting older and not exercising as much. However, when she began struggling to walk upstairs without becoming severely out of breath, they knew something wasn’t right.
Her GP suspected the weight gain could be caused by fluid and mentioned cancer as a possibility, referring her for further tests. Within a week, Marie attended A&E with her husband, Lol, and daughter, Carley, where they received the devastating news that she had stage 3c ovarian cancer.
Doctors drained 40 litres of fluid from Marie’s stomach and she began chemotherapy. Carley recalls how determined her mum was to keep going: ‘I think Mum was in denial about how poorly she was. She wanted to try every treatment she could; doctors had said they could treat it but couldn’t cure it. She did her first round of chemo and was allowed to come home with chemotherapy tablets but unfortunately, they didn’t work, so she ended up having another full round of chemo. Mum was drained of more fluid and fitted with a PEG tube (a medical device inserted through the abdomen into the stomach) so that nurses could drain the fluid at home.
‘Mum was desperate to go abroad again one last time but unfortunately, she was just too poorly. Instead, we managed to go to The Warren in Abersoch where we spent many happy childhood holidays. We had a really lovely time; Mum was so poorly and she was being sick constantly, but we made the absolute most of it. She absolutely loved ice lollies, and even though she’d be sick soon after eating, she just loved the flavour.’
As Marie became more unwell, she was admitted back into hospital. Doctors gently prepared the family for what was to come: ‘Her doctor advised us that she didn’t have long left to live – probably one to two weeks. Mum didn’t want to know timescales, but she was desperate to get home. She didn’t want to die in hospital; she wanted to be safe and comfortable at home. The doctor strongly advised her to stay in hospital; I think in hindsight he knew how hard it was going to be for us to care for her at home, but we were desperate to fulfil Mum’s wish.’
Carley and Kelly’s beloved mum, Marie
Carley with her Dad, Lol, and sister, Kelly – are dedicating a sunflower in memory of Marie
Marie spent a final weekend in hospital while doctors and nurses worked to stabilise her and drain the fluid once more. Carley explains: ‘I stayed with her and we had some really tough nights; Mum was constantly being sick at this point, and I kept having to call for help. But we laughed and talked through the night; we spent so much time laughing.’
Within 24 hours, a hospital bed was set up in Marie’s living room, a referral was made to Blythe House Hospice’s Roaming Car service, and Marie was discharged to go home: ‘I don’t think Mum realised how long she genuinely had left; she might have known but she never let on. But it was so nice to have her home, she was so much more settled and more herself. With my Dad, and my sister, Kelly alongside her beloved grandchildren and oldest friends, we talked and talked, laughed, and she was able to watch Emmerdale; she absolutely loved her soaps.’
While the days felt manageable, the nights were especially difficult, as Carley said: ‘The days weren’t too bad, I don’t know whether it’s because of the daylight and feeling safer, but the nights were the worst. When it’s dark you just feel so much more alone and scared. We called the Roaming Car every night, sometimes multiple times a night. Sometimes Mum was wincing in genuine pain, or she’d say her back was hurting, and the Roaming Car nurses came to administer meds and make sure Mum was comfortable, and check in with me and Kelly.
‘I genuinely don’t know what we would’ve done without the Roaming Car. It was so scary; not being able to help Mum and to manage her pain. When that car pulled up, we felt a huge sense of relief. Without doubt, we couldn’t have done it without Blythe House.’
Marie died peacefully at home on 29th October 2024, surrounded by those she loved most: ‘Mum took her final breath with me, Kelly and my Dad beside her. We told her it was OK to go, and she was safe and we loved her. There is no way on earth we could have achieved Mum’s final wish to die at home without the hospice team. I wish Mum was aware enough to know how amazing Blythe House was.’
The support from Blythe House Hospice did not end there: ‘Afterwards, the hospice has continued to be fantastic. I have received counselling to come to terms with Mum’s death. The support and wraparound care for our family has just been incredible. We came to the Light up a Life service in December 2025 and it was so, so lovely. Having the opportunity to remember Mum and share memories, whilst also coming to terms with what happened – the support from the hospice has been amazing.’
In September 2025, Carley and Kelly held a charity evening in Dove Holes in Marie’s memory, raising an incredible £2,627 to support the care of local patients and families through Blythe House Hospice.
