Daughter raises £6,000 for Sunderland hospice after mum's death from cancer

Jacqueline Maw died on April 10, two years to the day after being diagnosed with the rare neuroenedcrine condition.

She was admitted to St Benedict’s Hospice in Sunderland for a month in February and now daughter Abbie has raised more than £6,000 as a thank you.

Abbie, 24, of Murton, and best friend Hannah Gurkin walked 250 miles in a month to raise the money

Abbie works at the BGL Group’s Sunderland call centre – and the firm is also donating £1,000 in matched funding.

She said: “My mum was in St Benedict’s for a month before coming home to be with her family. They gave her the best possible care. All the staff are amazing and I can’t thank them enough.

Jacqueline had been in a lot of pain in her final weeks, but hospital staff were at a loss how to help.

Abbie continued: “She was in a lot of severe pain but the cancer was so rare that they really did not know what to do.

“Her Macmillan nurse said ‘Why don’t you go to the hospice? They are the ones that will get your pain under control’.

“Within a day of her being in there, she was out of pain completely. They were just absolutely amazing.”

Jacqueline returned home at the beginning of March and later passed away.

Abbie told the Echo: “We had not been told she was terminal then – we only go told three weeks before she died – but I think she knew. She said, ‘I want to come home now’.”

And when the 24-year-old heard the hospice’s fundraising had been hit by lockdown, she decided to help.

She has been overwhelmed by the response to her efforts, hitting the original £500 target in 35 minutes.

Abbie added: “I put it up to £1,000 but the next day it had reached £1,500. I could not believe it.”

To donate, click here.

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