Mark Beesley is taking on 100 miles of cycling at Birmingham Hospice’s Ride the Reservoir event, in memory of his wife Stephanie who was cared for by the hospice.
Mark met Stephanie in 2014, and they married in 2018. Four years later, in July 2022, Stephanie was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and was told by her oncologist it was terminal. She had just turned 40.
Mark remembers:“Steph was given the option of chemotherapy, which would have prolonged her life by a few months, but the quality of her life would have completely diminished, so she made the decision to not have any further treatment, and it was her wish to remain at home for her remaining days.”
Stephanie was referred to Birmingham Hospice, and arrangements were made to make sure Mark could care for his wife at home. The hospice’s Community Team created an end of life care plan to ensure Stephanie’s wishes were heard and carried out. They also made sure she had all the equipment she needed and arranged for nurses to come in and care for her.
“Steph’s condition worsened”, recalls Mark, “she became bed-bound, and I took time off work to be her full-time carer. Having support from the hospice was such a help – from arranging any equipment we needed, to just having someone to contact with questions. It was incredible.”
Thanks to the support Mark received, Stephanie was able to die at home, as she wished.
After this difficult time, Mark was offered bereavement counselling from the hospice. Reflecting on the help he received Mark said: “I found it really useful, and counselling definitely helped me navigate the stages of grief. It helped me understand why I was feeling the way I was and helped me address things moving forward. It was also a sounding board without judgement. It was an invaluable service that I got from the hospice.”
Remembering his wife, Mark said: “Steph was beautiful and very glamorous. She loved travelling and loved her music – she really enjoyed going to gigs. She had lots of friends and would always make time for them.”
Mark decided to sign up for the 100 mile option at the Ride the Reservoir cycle ride, after seeing the event online. Mark said: “Since Steph passed away, I’ve taken up cycling. I was looking for a longer bike ride to take part in and the fact I can do this for Birmingham Hospice is great. I’m taking part with Steph’s best friend’s dad, Martin, as he is a keen cyclist. It will be good to have company.”
“I set a fundraising target of £1000 but have surpassed that already – it just shows how much Steph meant to so many people.”
To find out more about more about Ride the Reservoir cycle ride and to sign up click here
