THE Prospect team is present not only to support patients through the most difficult time in their lives, but also their relatives.

Without their support, Danny Macdivitt would have been at a loss to cope with his grief following the death of his wife Natasha, and to carry on as normal for the sake of his three children.

Natasha was diagnosed with cervical cancer in July 2011 before receiving the all clear a few months later. Yet in 2012, at the age of 27 she discovered the tumour had spread to her bones and lungs. She passed away at Prospect Hospice in May 2013.

“I’ve never been a huge talker and I tended to bottle things up,” said Danny, 33, of Haydon End. “Coming to terms with the loss of Natasha was hard. You experience different feelings every day. You never know if it’s going to be a good or bad day.

“But you have to hold it together for the children.

“Having the bereavement team made it easier for me. They helped me emotionally. I told Andrea in the team that I didn’t want to go off the rails and I didn’t want to go down the road of anti-depressants, that I just wanted to talk through it. They gave me the opportunity to do that; it was unbelievable.

“It was not easy being alone with three children but I had to get on with it with their help. I probably would not have managed on my own without them because I would not have opened up about things.

“Talking was key to accepting it and dealing with it. Being able to speak as changed me as a person.”

  • THE unfailing care her late husband and their family received from Prospect Hospice inspired Julie Haynes to accompany others on the most heartbreaking journey of their lives.

    Five years after losing her partner Richard Tweddell to a brain tumour, the mother-of-two chose to retrain as an occupational therapist.

    Richard was diagnosed in March 2004 after suffering three seizures within eight weeks. In July 2005, he underwent a difficult operation – during which part of the growth was removed – followed by courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. When it appeared his condition was incurable, he was referred to the Wroughton hospice. He died in March 2010 at the age of 33.

    The comfort Julie received at the hospice allowed her to gain perspective on her life and find her vocation.

    “After Richard passed away I received a lot of support from the family support team and the bereavement team,” she said. “I got to a point where I needed to think about what I wanted to do long term.

    “The occupational therapy team had helped us and allowed Richard to stay at home as long as he could. At the time I was fascinated by occupational therapy because I had never heard about it before until we came across the team as a family at Prospect.

    “I think it’s a way for me of giving back and to show my gratitude for the support they gave Richard and my family. It really inspired me.”

  • Stuart Eyles first began accessing the support of Prospect Hospice in 2013, after having been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (ALS) two years ago.

    “I can’t speak highly enough of the help and care that I get from Prospect Hospice,” says Stuart, 67, from Broad Town. “It has helped me and my wife Anne enormously. It would be easy to feel negative in my situation, but coming to Prospect Hospice has helped me to stay very positive in my outlook.”

    Stuart’s diagnosis was prompted first by cramp in his hands, followed by problems with his left arm. Gradually, he has lost the use of his limbs, and now uses a wheelchair.

    To date, Stuart’s care from Prospect Hospice has been through the physiotherapists, occupational therapists, community nurse specialists and the medical team.