Eleanor’s story: “Mum had the kind of death that everyone should have, and I will always be grateful for the care she received.”
In April this year, our supporter Eleanor ran the London Marathon in memory of her mother, Lucy, who spent the last three days of her life in our care. Through her incredible effort, Eleanor raised £6,882 to support the hospice. Here, she shares her family's story and reflects on why giving back to St John's means so much to her.
My Mum, Lucy, died the hospice in March 2025, aged just 72. Despite being fit and healthy, she was incredibly unlucky to develop mesothelioma, a brutal and invariably fatal cancer. She bore everything the disease threw at her with extraordinary fortitude and was, until the very end, a joy to spend time with.
When Mum was discharged from hospital in early March 2025, we were told there was nothing more the doctors could do. After she came home, we quickly discovered how patchy end-of-life care at home can be. She was anxious and felt unsupported.
Everything changed when she moved into the care of St John's Hospice.
She was finally able to relax. The nurses managed her pain and made her comfortable. Our whole family felt welcome, even her beloved dogs, Nanny and Nornor, could visit whenever they wanted. The hospice was calm, peaceful and full of kindness. There were no strict visiting hours, no bleeps from medical machines, the windows opened, and there were none of the “funny” hospital smells.
Mum was only in the hospice for three days, but those three days meant everything.
She had the kind of death that everyone should have, and I will always be grateful for the care she received.
Mum was a wonderful person, and I miss her every single day. Knowing she was able to spend her final days in comfort, with the people and dogs she loved most, is something I will always treasure.
That is why I wanted to run the London Marathon for St John's Hospice.
I'd always been a deeply casual 5km runner, so the marathon was my first real running event. If you're starting from scratch, my advice is to begin training as soon as you get your place and take it slowly. I built up my distances gradually and managed to avoid injury, but whatever you do, you really do have to train, because 42km is a very long way!
Race day was hot, so I lowered my expectations and simply enjoyed the atmosphere. It was an incredible experience.
Before Mum died, I knew very little about hospices or end-of-life care. Now I understand just how important they are, and I can't think of a better reason to take on a challenge or raise money especially in memory of a loved one.
We’re so grateful to Eleanor for sharing her story and for taking on the 2026 London Marathon in support of St John’s Hospice.
If Eleanor's story has inspired you, and you were lucky enough to secure a London Marathon ballot place, we'd love to welcome you to Team St John's. We'll support you every step of the way and we have an exciting Marathon package to help you smash your goals! Visit www.stjohnshospice.org.uk/london-marathon for more information.
