Morning!
Dad & Fi received this lovely email from Catherine a Marie Curie nurse. They have kindly let me share it with you. This really is a fabulous charity & I'm proud to be here supporting it.
Xx

Dear Paul and Fiona,
I just wanted to say hello and send some encouragement for the final days of your cycle challenge. I am so full of admiration for what you are doing and you have all been very much in my thoughts.
On Tuesday I did a night shift caring for a 63 year old lady called Diana who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer only three months ago. She had been fit and active until then, so she and her family had been totally devastated to find out that her tumour was inoperable and she was terminally ill. Her family had valiantly managed her care at home but after two terribly difficult nights of struggling alone, unable to make her comfortable and having to make urgent phone calls and wait for on-call NHS staff to visit to give injections etc, they just couldn’t cope. So Diana was referred to Marie Curie to make certain they could get some rest and know someone would be on hand to do whatever was necessary for her.
When I knocked at the door, I could instantly see how thankful they were that I’d arrived to help them. The weather was cold and wild, with even more of the torrential rain we’ve had recently lashing down all night long. I thought of the Marie Curie Nurses venturing out in the dark through the flooded countryside of the Somerset Levels, Gloucestershire and other affected parts of the UK to reach their patients. And then I felt so touched to think of all of you in Cambodia battling extreme heat, wind and bumpy roads on your cycles to raise funds so that we can continue our work and will always reach the people who need us most. It was a really heart-warming thought to know you are there and so intent on helping us make a difference.
I spent time talking with Diana’s family explaining, reassuring and answering their questions before they went to bed – they were very emotional and exhausted, but so relieved that I was there to give her all the attention she would need overnight.
In hospital, Diana would have been in a bare ward or side room. At home she lay in her cosy bedroom with special personal things and very pretty possessions all around her. The room was full of flowers and cards from family and friends. Diana couldn’t speak anymore but I told her how beautiful it all looked. There was a big window with the loveliest view of the Severn Estuary. At 5am it was still dark but Diana’s husband came in from the spare room where he had slept for a few hours. He was a Welshman, and when he lay next to her on their double bed, he could see across the water to the lights of Newport in Wales, with the outline of the Welsh hills beyond, and that seemed to comfort him. When I left at 7 am he seemed calm and accepting. He told me he would be forever grateful that his wife looked so cared for and comfortable.
It was the last night of Diana’s life - she died later that morning, at home, surrounded by the people and things she loved most. It was incredibly rewarding to know my support ensured she was peaceful in her last hours and that her family were left with the best possible memories. It is unbelievably inspiring to think how all of you are going to give so many more terminally ill people the choice to die like that at home, where they would most want to be.
Thank you all so, so much for taking on such an awesome challenge. It must be extraordinarily tough but I hope you’ve had lots and lots of fun along the way. Keep going and please take care!
Sending tons of encouragement and heaps of good wishes to you and all the team for the final stage of your epic ride,
We think you’re amazing!
Love from
Catherine Le Roy (and special cheers from Denzil). xx