Volunteer Terry is "giving something back" after losing wife Pat
Terry first approached us at Light Up a Life 2024. He was there remembering his wife, who was cared for by the hospice, and struck up a conversation with some of our retail managers. After telling them his life story, Julie, Head of Retail and Trading, realised he was exactly the type of person they were looking for and asked if he wanted to volunteer for us in his local shop, and he hasn’t looked back since!
Terry said: “When Pat died, she was in your hospice, and I’m a big believer in giving something back. I’ve been supporting St Andrew’s for the last two-and-a-half years and have moved five times within that time trying to find peace. Volunteering in the shop has finally given me that.
“My wife and I were married for 38 years, and for 24 of those she was living with breast cancer. I quit my job to become her carer and we moved around quite a bit to try and help her health. After living in Cyprus for seven years, we moved to Ingoldmells. Eventually, Pat was given a year to live, so Macmillan got us a hospital bed for our house and visited five times a day.”
Four years after being given a year, nurses said they needed to get Pat into a hospice for end-of-life care. Terry said: “After arriving at the hospice, she only lasted four days, however those four days were out of this world.
“She was my life. People said to me, “24 years of caring for her is a lot!” – so what? She was worth it. I knew I wanted to give back, but I wasn’t sure how until I was approached by Julie, and now I’m here! I get satisfaction volunteering here, knowing I’ve done some good.”
Demet, Louth shop manager, said: “Terry is a whirlwind. He was originally supposed to do one or two days but has since decided to do more. I show him how to do something once and he just gets on with it. He’s brilliant with customers and is such a likeable character. He has just fitted in, he’s making friends and it feels like he’s been here forever already. He has joined our little extended family and we’re so happy he’s here!”
If you would like to volunteer with St Andrew's Hospice, click here to find out more.