Gill Bates, Amy Shadwell, Louise Cragg and Zoe Harris have all been friends for over ten years, and decided they wanted to do something to say thank you after both Gill’s Dad and Amy’s Mum received care from St. Rocco’s. So far the Falling Angels, as they have called themselves, have raised an incredible £4,450.

Gill’s Dad, Jim, came to St. Rocco’s after being ill for a very short time.

“My Dad only received a diagnosis at the beginning of June and he died on 19^th June. It was so quick – we really only had a few weeks to come to terms with things. Being able to transfer him from the hospital to St. Rocco’s made a massive difference to all of us and especially to him.

“At St. Rocco’s my Dad had his own room and the surroundings there are so lovely and peaceful. We were able to visit whenever we wished. My niece hadn’t wanted to visit him in hospital but once she saw some pictures of the lovely gardens at St. Rocco’s she felt able to come and see him.”

Jim saw his grandchildren and was even able to sit outside and enjoy some quality time with his family. Gill says that it was all the little things that really made a difference for him.

“I felt that he really perked up and we were able to be together as a family” she says. “We were even able to stay a couple of nights to be near him in his last few days. The staff and the volunteers are absolutely amazing. Not only do the volunteers give up their time to help out, but everyone is so helpful, kind and understanding in such difficult circumstances.”

“Amy and I decided we wanted to do something to raise money as a thank you for the exceptional care St Rocco’s provided to both my Dad and Amy’s Mum.”

Amy’s Mum, Lynne, also benefitted from several visits to St. Rocco’s to help manage her pain when she was ill.

“My mum spent around four week in St Rocco’s whilst the doctors worked hard trying to find the right medication to help manage her pain. This gave her a much better quality of life during her final few months. Her time spent in St Rocco’s gave my mum the respite she needed to regain her strength and determination which I believe allowed her to make it to my wedding in August 2017.”

 “I truly can’t express enough how important this place is to both the patients and their families. The staff are warm and welcoming and always made my mum feel at ease. It was like a home from home for my mum which is exactly what you would want at this difficult time of life”

The dive took place on Saturday with friends and family there to encourage them.

“It was a brilliant experience that we all really enjoyed. It’s a great achievement and we are all extremely pleased that we managed to raise the amount we have for St Rocco’s through the support of all our fabulous friends and family.”

If you would like to contribute to the Falling Angels total, then you can still do so by going to https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROFundraiserPage?userUrl=FallingAngels3&isTeam=true