Thankful patient celebrates doubling her fundraising target

A patient at Nightingale House has said a ‘big thank you’ after raising double the amount of money she originally planned.

Denise Cross set out to raise awareness about the facilities and treatments that Nightingale House Hospice provide, while raising 5K to support vital care for those with life-limiting illnesses by undertaking a sponsored head shave.

Within hours she hit her 5K target and the donations have continued to flow in ever since. She recently found out she had doubled her original target, with a total of £10,000 and the figure is still rising.

Denise wanted to thank everyone for their support. She said: “I am absolutely over the moon we have broken the £10k target. I’d just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported me with their kind donations and to my daughter Katherine for kickstarting our Just Giving campaign. We’ll be leaving the page open for a little while if anyone would like to donate.”

The 62-year-old was diagnosed with metastatic kidney cancer whilst in Gibraltar visiting her daughter in September 2020. She received radiotherapy in Malaga and chemotherapy in Wrexham but was given just days to live. After an initial stay at Nightingale House Hospice back in February for pain symptom management she was able to return home to her daughter, Katherine, and she received physiotherapy sessions and complementary therapies through the hospice. She was then readmitted in May 2021 and has been there ever since.

Katherine Williams, Denise’s daughter commented: “I was upset at first when they said mum’s care would be better served at Nightingale House but I’m really grateful to the hospice team who recognised the complexity of her needs. I get to spend quality time chatting to mum now whilst making special memories.”

Denise’s fundraising page can be found at: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/katherine-williams33