BIG-HEARTED Rik Hunter has had a tougher year than most after losing his wife and son within 12 months of each another.

But not one to dwell on his devastating loss, the inspirational 72-year-old, of Wroughton, decided to create a lasting legacy for his loved ones by donating £10,000 to Prospect Hospice after it cared for both family members in their final days.

He hopes that the generous sum of money will allow other families to benefit from the charity’s support in years to come.

Rik’s wife Hazel, 67 died in June last year after a battle with cancer and in the six months leading up to her death she attended the hospice’s day centre twice a week.

Staff also lent a helping hand at home – something Rik would like to make more people aware of.

“Hazel was told just after Christmas in 2015 that she didn’t have long to live with her condition,” the retired Royal Air Force officer said.

“They put her in touch with Prospect Hospice and they took her under their wing from mid-January.

“They provided people to sit with her for a couple of hours to allow me to get out of the house.

“She was partly immobile at this stage because she had all the chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery she could.

“The staff at Prospect did all sorts for her. They took her two days a week for respite for me so I could go out and do shopping or other things like go and play bowls.

“Eventually she had to go into Prospect Hospice permanently and was there for three weeks.

“People think of a hospice as a place where people go to pass away and, while some do, it is not the only thing that it is about. They give people support in the run-up to that happening and I now go to a bereavement group once a month for a chat and cup of tea.”

Hazel was a much-loved member of the Wroughton community having shown an interest in several groups over the years including the WI.

The couple knew each other growing up in Yorkshire and after spending many years apart growing up, they reconnected and fell in love, marrying in 1971.

In a heart-breaking turn of events just seven months after losing his wife, and while Rik was in recovery from a bowel cancer operation, he faced yet another tragedy when his son Adrian, 39, was found collapsed at home in Bath in January.

“He went into the Royal United Hospital and stayed there for 11 weeks, five of them he was in a coma.

“Doctors eventually found that he had a virus in his bone marrow which was slowly attacking his red and white blood cells and was incurable,” Rik said.

“And when they told him he only had a couple of days to live, they asked him what he wanted to do.

“He said he wanted to go to Prospect Hospice because of his mum.”

“They said they would see what they could do because it is a small unit but there was a bed available and because of his imminent passing they were a bit worried about transporting him. He said he was willing to take the chance to make the journey and he did.

“I made sure I overtook the ambulance on the motorway so that when they opened the doors I was stood there waiting for him.

“He was only in there for 16 hours before he passed away.”

Rik has asked for the £10,000 to go towards a specialist bed to provide an extra bit of comfort for patients.

“I thought that would be a nice memorial to both Hazel and Adrian,” he said.

“I did not want it to go into general funds to be spread very thinly but I wanted it to go towards equipment and something positive that would have an immediate use to anyone and everyone.”

Sheryl Crouch,the head of fundraising at Prospect Hospice, said: “Rik’s gift to Prospect Hospice is an incredibly generous one, and we are hugely appreciative of his generosity towards us.

“It seems fitting he wanted his donation to go towards specific items that will benefit future patients and we thank Rik on their behalf too.”