A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD girl from Oldham is helping support Dr Kershaw’s Hospice’s Rose to Remember campaign after seeing first-hand the care the hospice gave to her beloved grandad.
Pippa Johnson is backing the annual fundraising appeal in memory of her step-grandfather, Wade Stevens, who was cared for by the hospice last spring after living with bowel cancer for several years.
The campaign invites people to remember loved ones by dedicating a handcrafted metal rose, with each £20 donation helping to fund vital hospice care across the borough.
This year’s rose is lilac – symbolising nostalgia, love and the renewal of spring – and it also happens to be Pippa’s favourite colour.
Her mum, Laura Johnson, said the campaign felt like the perfect way for Pippa to honour her grandad.
She said: “Pippa is proud and excited to be able to dedicate a rose to her grandad in her favourite colour.
“It is a very touching way to celebrate Wade, and being able to keep the rose and add it to our own garden is a really lovely memorial.”
Wade was first supported by Dr Kershaw’s Hospice through its Inpatient Unit before returning home, where he was cared for by the Hospice at Home team.
Laura said the support made an enormous difference to the whole family during an incredibly difficult time.
She said: “The team treated him with such kindness and dignity in his own home, right until he passed. They took away the burden of Mum caring for him and gave him his wife back for those last few weeks. I know that meant a lot to him and it was a huge comfort.”
For young Pippa, the experience of visiting the hospice left a lasting impression. Laura said she found the Royton-based hospice far less frightening than hospital, even describing it as being like visiting her grandad in a “nice hotel” rather than somewhere “scary”.
She also built a bond with nurses and healthcare assistants, who spent time with her, brought books and activities, and helped her begin to understand and process her grief.
Laura believes the Rose to Remember campaign gives other families the chance to receive the same support they did.
She said: “People should support Rose to Remember because every single rose purchased can contribute towards giving families like ours the same care that we received.
“The support was so important, and really helped us to navigate such a horrible time. It gave us precious time that we would not have had otherwise.”
People can collect their rose from the hospice reception, have it posted for an additional fee, or choose to display it at the Rose to Remember event in the hospice’s newly transformed gardens on Sunday, June 28, from 11.30am to 2pm.
Last year, the campaign raised more than £15,000 for palliative and end-of-life care.
Those donating £30 or more will also receive a special Rose to Remember badge, while visitors can also pre-book afternoon tea at the hospice’s Café K as part of the event.
You can find out more at www.drkh.org.uk/rosetoremember