The Wallage Family

Loved one’s fundraising efforts have seen more than £15,000 raised for St Nic’s in memory of a much-loved mum of two.

Louise Wallage, who died from a brain tumour in October 2021, aged 48, was supported in her final weeks by the Hospice.

Louise’s brain tumour had been operated on seven years previously, back in 2014, and in the years that followed, she would have regular scans. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Louise continued to have scans, but face-to-face appointments were less frequent. 

After one of her scans, Louise received a call from Addenbrookes, and she was later told the tumour had returned. During the subsequent consultations, she was diagnosed as terminal and told that she had probably less than six months. Following appointments with other medical professionals, including her GP, Louise and her husband Paul were put in touch with the Hospice. 

Paul says: “Suzanne (Hospice Senior Nurse) visited us at home, and she was just amazing. She sat with us as a family and went through everything with us. Lou was included in all the conversations, and her wishes were listened to. Suzanne made us all feel at ease, and although it was an upsetting conversation, she still managed to make us smile and remind us what a special family we were and how well we had done up to this point without the support.

“We were told about what could happen in the future and what we could expect. Although it wasn’t a conversation that we would ever have wanted to have, it was carried out with genuine compassion.

“A month or so after that first visit, Suzanne came back a few times to see us again; it was clear that Louise was deteriorating. Again, Suzanne spoke to us about everything. It was Louise’s wish to be at home, and that was listened to, and we spoke about all of the possibilities, all of the options were explained to us, and we knew there was support there.”

Louise died at home on October 17, 2021, aged 48. In the final two weeks before her death, Paul and his family realised they needed some extra help.

“About two weeks before Louise passed away, it got to the point where I needed more support. As a family, we had been doing everything, but it became more than we could cope with as Louise had got to a point it was very difficult to administer her medication. We needed help,” said Paul.

Paul called the Hospice, and plans for additional support were swiftly put into place.

Paul said: “Everything that needed to be done was so quickly put into motion. A bed so Louise could be more comfortable downstairs arrived. It was arranged that local nurses from the health centre would come and do all of Louise’s medication as well as carers. That all happened on the same day. It was seamless and meant we didn’t have to think or worry about that anymore.

“Louise passed away at home, and that was her wish, and we had been given the support via the hospice that meant that could happen.”

Over the last few years, more than £15,000 has now been raised for St Nic’s in mum-of-two Louise’s memory.

Two of the fundraisers have been charity cricket matches, which have taken place at Haverhill Cricket Club, where Son Daniel plays for the first team, and a third one is planned for 2024.

“The cricket matches haven’t been sad days; they have been great days, and people have all come out to support the Hospice and remember Louise. For our first cricket match, around 1,500 people came out to support us. Fundraising is a way for us to give back to the Hospice for all the support we’ve had as a family.

“The Hospice and staff are fantastic, and we’ll always support it,” said Paul.