Hospice Care Week: Esmie’s Story

This year’s Hospice Care Week (5 – 11 October 2026) theme – Don’t leave hospice care to chance – is a reminder that while everyone deserves access to compassionate care and support right to the end, hospices are underfunded and under more pressure than ever.

Throughout the week, we’re sharing stories from across St Mary’s and introducing you to some of the people who make a difference – the people who don’t leave hospice care to chance.

Esmie is St Mary’s Corporate Partnerships Manager, though she first began working with us as a Clinical Administrator.

Esmie knew St Mary’s was a special place to be part of, but she never imagined that her own family would one day need our support when her grandad, Frank, was diagnosed with lung cancer.

“My grandad had a heart of gold; he would do anything for anyone and always put other people first,” Esmie said. 

Frank’s diagnosis came as a shock to the whole family, as Esmie continued: “Everything happened so quickly and his health deteriorated rapidly over the following weeks. Watching him become unwell was so difficult. We wanted to do everything we could for him, but we felt frightened and uncertain about how we could manage his care at home.”

St Mary’s Hospice at Home team became involved, supporting Frank to spend his final weeks and days at home, surrounded by his loved ones.

“St Mary’s made sure he was comfortable, respected his wishes and cared for him with so much warmth and understanding,” Esmie continued. “Their kindness gave us strength, reassurance, guidance and the confidence that we weren’t facing it alone. Their support lifted such a huge weight from our shoulders and allowed us to focus on what mattered most: spending our last moments together as a family.”

Esmie has now experienced the care from both perspectives – as a granddaughter and as a member of staff. In her role as Corporate Partnerships Manager, she now works with businesses and supporters to help make sure St Mary’s can continue to be there for families like hers, so that access to hospice care isn’t left to chance.

Esmie added: “The support didn’t end when Grandad passed away, either. St Mary’s continued to be there for me and my family in the weeks and months afterwards, checking in, offering support and simply being there whenever we needed it. Even now, I know that support is still there.

“St Mary’s Hospice made an incredibly hard time a little bit easier. They gave Grandad exactly what he wanted: a peaceful, dignified death at home with the people he loved most, and they supported my family every step of the way. I’ll always be grateful, not just because I work there, but because I’ve experienced first-hand the difference they make

“I still think about what my grandad said when I got the job at St Mary’s – that I’d made the right choice. After everything my family experienced, I know he was right.”