Beccah Coffman is taking on the challenge of Great Birmingham Run 10k to give back to Birmingham Hospice after they cared for both her mom and grandma during their terminal cancer diagnoses.
Beccah’s mom Claire was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer when Beccah was just 10. Her mom had surgery and a few years later started attending the hospice’s Living Well Centre at Selly Park.
Beccah recalls: “Mom was reluctant to go at first as she was only in her forties. However, she did end up going every Thursday and it was really good for her to meet other people in similar situations and mentally prepare for what was going to go happen. Everyone there was living with a terminal diagnosis, and she was able to make friends.”
She continues: “All the staff were amazing, I used to go with my mom sometimes – I must have been around 15 at the time. It was good to build a relationship with the staff, they were all so lovely.”
In April 2010, Claire told Beccah and her sisters that she was going to the Inpatient Unit for respite care for two weeks. She hadn’t wanted to worry them but in reality she was being admitted for end of life care.
The hospice did more than just care for Claire. Nurses were able to lend her a laptop so she could go online and keep in touch with friends and the hospice arranged a priest to come and see her to give some words of comfort.
Beccah recalls: “Just before she died the nurses on the ward saw my mom didn’t have long left, so they phoned me and my sister to come straight away and be with her. We found it comforting that she wasn’t alone and will always be grateful that they contacted us.”
Birmingham Hospice was also there for Beccah and her family when her grandma was cared for. “My grandma Myra was diagnosed with cancer a few years before my mom, but she actually outlived my mom – her daughter,” said Beccah.
“She was admitted into the hospice for end of life care in August 2019. I had just had my first child at the start of August, and I really wanted my grandma to meet my daughter. Thanks to the hospice team, I was able to take my newborn baby to say hello and goodbye to her.
I was a bit worried taking a baby that could cry into the ward, but the nurses were so welcoming and supportive. That was the only time my grandma saw my daughter, so a bittersweet moment.”
Beccah was motivated to sign up for the Great Birmingham Run after trying to improve her fitness: “I went back to work after my second child last year and was looking at how I could become more active. I hate exercise, but knew I needed to do something, so I started with Couch to 5K, and managed to finish it. I then needed to keep myself motivated to keep going. I was toying with idea of signing up for an event and this one popped up online. When I saw could do it for Birmingham Hospice, I just went for it.”
Beccah has been fundraising through JustGiving and has already raised £380, through the generosity of friends and family.
Beccah hopes her story will encourage others to support Birmingham Hospice, which continues to provide vital care and support to families across the region. Find out more about our fundraising events and how you can support the hospice here
