Family fundraising in memory of Mum

On Saturday 25 June, Juli Greenfield and her family rose to the challenge and took part in ‘Sunrise to Remember’ for St Barnabas House, the hospice that cared for her mum, Molly Greenfield, as well as her sister-in-law’s mother, Nanny Joan and other family members.

Molly’s two children, five grandchildren, five great grandchildren, and three family dogs, set off on their walking challenge at 4:15am from Worthing Leisure Centre. “It was so nice to take on Sunrise to Remember as a family to say thank you to St Barnabas House. The hospice has been a big part of our family and we don’t know where we’d be without them,” says Juli.

In December 2021, Juli’s mum, Molly, sadly died at St Barnabas House at the age of 91. “Mum was full of life, she was so vibrant,” says Juli. “Everyone who met her loved her to bits – and I’m not just saying that because she’s my mum!”

In October 2020, Molly had an ulcer that wouldn’t go away. She started to feel unwell, and her health deteriorated rapidly. After investigations, the family received the devastating news that she had mouth cancer, and that her diagnosis was terminal.

“We tried to care for Mum at home, but it was too much. We were struggling to control her pain, and we weren’t sure what else we could do,” says Juli. “That’s when St Barnabas House stepped in. We had their Hospice at Home team visit us a few times a day to help with Mum’s care and managed to get her pain under control.”

Then, in September 2021, Molly’s health took a turn for the worse and Molly and her family decided that they wanted her to stay at St Barnabas House hospice. “I remember visiting Mum for the first time at the hospice and she just had a smile on her face. She loved the place – her room, the staff, everything. We were so happy there.”