Elizabeth Bissell and her family will be running the Surrey Half Marathon on September 8 to raise vital funds for Birmingham Hospice and to say thank you for the care her dad, Peter Lane, received.
After he was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, Peter and his family were supported by the Hospice at Home Team during the final weeks of his life.
Liz said: “When Dad was first diagnosed, he was told that he would need six rounds of chemotherapy and then see how things were going.
“At one of his oncology meetings, the doctor informed Dad that while the chemotherapy was keeping him stable, the tumour was too aggressive, and his cancer was now terminal.
“I think what was happening finally hit Dad at that point because he asked how long he had left. The doctor informed us it would be around six months, but sadly we didn’t get that long.”
Upon receiving his terminal diagnosis, the family reached out to Birmingham Hospice.
“There was no doubt in Mom and Dad’s minds that they wanted to be supported by the hospice. The Erdington site was right around the corner from their house, and we already knew of the charity’s wonderful reputation,” Liz shared.
Liz and her family are fundraising for the hospice after experiencing first-hand the support given to not only her dad, but to all of them.
“Dad was cared for by the Hospice at Home Team and from their first visit it felt like we could all breathe again. They cared for Dad in the most amazing way – they were the light in a really dark time.
“What stood out to me was how the team always checked in on how we were all doing, even giving us a hug if we’d had a bad night. Mom was in such a bubble trying to care for Dad, but they stepped in and kindly talked her through difficult conversations.
“Since then, I’ve always wanted to give back to the hospice.”
Liz, her sister, Emma, brother-in-law, Dom, and several of the children, Eliza, Ben and Eden, will all be taking on the Surrey Half Marathon on September 8 to raise vital funds for the Hospice.
“Once we decided to take on the half marathon, we spoke to the hospice’s Community Fundraiser who advised we set up a Just Giving page.
“Luckily, we have a big family, so I shared the page on family group chats as well as on my social media pages. We only started fundraising a month ago, but we’ve already reached our £500 target, so hopefully we can raise even more.
“While September seems to be coming round fast, training is going well and I’m looking forward to proudly running in my Birmingham Hospice vest,” Liz told us.
The family of runners are passionate about ensuring the hospice can continue to provide care and support to local people with life-limiting illnesses and we’re incredibly grateful for their help.
She added: “Dad exceeded everything we could ask for in a dad. He has left such a huge void in our lives, and we miss him so much. Not only was he a huge part of our lives but he also was in our family’s parish community. He was loved by so many and is so missed.”
If you’d like to follow in Liz and her family’s footsteps and do something amazing for Birmingham Hospice, our Fundraising Team would love to hear from you. Please email fundraise@birminghamhospice.org.uk.
