Long-standing volunteer Margaret Grey turned 80 in May, and we wanted to mark this special occasion here at the hospice. Chef Jody arranged a cake, and we surprised her with it.
Margaret, a twin, has lived in Cockerton her whole life, since she was born in 1946. She has been part of St Teresa’s Hospice for over 37 years now, nearly from the very beginning. Margaret started with the Hospice at Home Sitting Service, doing the overnight shift. Margaret recalled that “I would be picked up by a driver a 6 pm and taken home at 6 am. The neighbours started asking me about this guy I would get into a car with every night, so I had to have some fun and called him ‘darling’ after this.”
“I have so many memories of my time working with the Hospice at Home Team. Going into people’s homes was so humbling.”
“One patient I remember well is Michael. He was only 42, a massive Manchester United fan. He had an aggressive brain tumour. I knew he loved the team, so I wanted to do something for him. I wrote to the team, and a few weeks later, I got a pre-recorded tape back. It had obviously been sitting on a shelf waiting to be posted out. I didn’t think this was good enough, so I called them back, again and again, until I got through to Alex Ferguson’s secretary eventually. I told her that the tape hadn’t mentioned Michael’s name at all. I asked them to send something addressed to him. They then sent him signatures and other stuff back, with his actual name.”
“I just felt that it was important to acknowledge Michael personally, as an individual. That’s all I had wanted. He has a name; he is important. To see Michael’s face when we gave it to him made all the hassle worthwhile. Michael died 3 weeks later.”
After she stopped working, Margaret continued to volunteer for St Teresa’s Hospice and has been a staple each year at our Giving To Life Tree. Margaret recalls meeting Micheals wife again, many years later at our tree.
“The most important thing you have to give is time.”
Thank you, Margaret, for the difference you have made to so many over the years.
