Light up your loved ones with Woodlands Hospice
Here at the Hospice we appreciate that Christmas can be a very difficult time of year when you have lost a loved one, or if you cannot be with someone you love, so every year Woodlands Hospice helps hundreds of people to celebrate the lives of their family and friends by dedicating a light on our Christmas trees.
By dedicating a light to your loved ones, you will not only be celebrating their life, you will be helping us to support our patients and their families at a time they need it most. Families like Alison’s, who have experienced the care provided to a loved one and their family.
Alison is the niece of Father Tom Leigh who was involved from the start of the Woodlands project to build a Hospice for the local community and became a patient of the Hospice last year. Alison shares her story of this time.
‘During 2017, Uncle Tom became critically ill and spent his final days in Woodlands. Despite his condition, the staff informed him he was one of the happiest patients they had admitted; this was because Woodlands had always been close to Tom’s heart.
‘Tom was at the Hospice when the Light up a Life service was taking place, and requested his Christmas jumper to be brought in for the occasion. I remember that when watching from the garden, Tom said, “Take me to the people”. So, we took him over in a wheelchair to where the families had gathered, and as the choir sang carols, we watched the tree light up beautifully.
Father Tom Leigh with his niece, Alison
‘There are so many things to thank the Hospice for providing and the dedication of the caring staff which makes a difficult time become so much easier for families such as ourselves, and we will be eternally grateful to Woodlands in memory of my uncle, Fr. Tom Leigh. It is because of this that we want to do whatever we can to help the Hospice, starting with supporting this year’s Light up a Life appeal’.
Alison has been invited to switch on the Christmas lights at the Light up a Life service at the Hospice on Sunday 2nd December. We are also holding a second service on Monday 3rd December at St Andrew’s Church, Maghull, where we will also have a tree.
If you would like to dedicate a light/s and help other families like Alison’s, you can do so online by visiting http://www.woodlandshospice.org/lightupalife. Alternatively you can call Carole Riley on 0151 529 4143 to dedicate a light over the phone and pay by card. You can dedicate a light/s up to 31st December 2018.
If you would like more information about the work of the Hospice or if you would like to find out how you can help support the care provided please contact the hospice on 0151 529 4143 or visit http://www.woodlandshospice.org
Carole Riley, Woodlands Hospice