After losing my husband in my early forties, weekends became particularly lonely. Although I worked full-time, someone suggested I volunteer at St. Rocco’s Hospice when it was in Orford, making tea for patients and visitors. I decided to give it a try, and it became one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.
People would often say to me, “I don’t know how you do it, especially after losing your husband.” But my response was always the same: St. Rocco’s was never simply a place for the dying. It was a place where life was celebrated, where people received the very best care, compassion, and dignity until the very end. Every time I came home after volunteering, I felt truly blessed to have been given the opportunity to be part of it.
One memory has stayed with me throughout the years. Volunteers were encouraged to spend time with patients who had no family visiting, and every Saturday afternoon, I would sit with a lovely Irish gentleman called Mick. We’d share a cup of tea and chat for hours, mostly about Ireland. He would tell me stories about his Mammy and Daddy and the life he had lived.
One Saturday evening, Mick told me, “Mammy came to me last night.” His mother had died many years earlier. I smiled and asked, “And what did Mammy have to say for herself?” He replied, “She said she was coming for me soon.”
I asked him, “Well, Mick, what did you say?”
He smiled and said, “Mammy, I’ve got a lovely Mary down here, and I’m going nowhere.”
Sadly, Mick died that very night. I never saw him again, but I have carried him in my heart ever since.
The staff at the hospice encouraged me to train as a Bereavement Counsellor, which I went on to do. I then volunteered as a Bereavement Counsellor for ten years before broadening my work into Relationship Counselling and Youth Counselling. Yet throughout those years, I always knew that one day I would return to volunteering on the In-Patient Unit.
In 2022, following the restrictions of lockdown and my retirement from professional practice, I saw that St. Rocco’s was looking for volunteers on the In-Patient Unit, and coming back felt like coming home.
Today, I feel deeply privileged to walk alongside patients and their loved ones once more, offering comfort, companionship, and care at such an important time in their lives. I volunteer every other Sunday. I always begin my shift by walking around to each of the rooms and introducing myself. I will bring lunch to patients and check in with loved ones who are visiting. It is a privilege to be able to sit and chat with them.
Thank you to Mary for your incredible donation and the support you have given to St. Rocco’s through volunteering.
If you would like to learn more about becoming a St. Rocco’s volunteer, click here.
Alternatively, you can contact the Voluntary Services team on E: volunteering@stroccos.org.uk, T: 01925 575780.
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