Nicole Wagner finds sense of purpose and knack for fundraising as she walks in mother’s memory
When Nicole Wagner, her brother and two friends, set off on the 11-mile course of the St Christopher’s Fun Walk, and raise more than £1,000 for the hospice, she knows her mother Irene, in whose memory they’ll be participating, will be happy and proud they’re doing it.
Almost exactly a year since Irene, 71, was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, Nicole and her fellow walkers will complete the Fun Walk knowing they’ve been able to express the whole family’s thanks for the support they received during the last six months of Irene’s life.
“I know Mum tried to say a heartfelt thanks to the nurses on their final visit,” Nicole says.
“She had formed a real bond with them, and she was very grateful. I think she would be glad that we are raising money for St Christopher’s.”
When doctors at Guy’s Hospital referred Irene to St Christopher’s, Nicole said she and her family knew very little about the hospice and what to expect.
“End of life care sounds very daunting and we wanted to keep a positive mindset to the end. From the very first time the nurse came to visit Mum, they wanted to understand her wishes and what was important to her.
“They handled all the difficult conversations delicately and always focused on what she wanted and was best for her.”
Key to that, was that Irene insisted she wanted to stay in the comfort of the family home in Crystal Palace. Family, Nicole says, was everything to Irene and Nicole ensured her four siblings, two of whom live overseas, were involved in the decision making in Irene’s final months even when they couldn’t be physically present.
“The nurses were so lovely, with a calm, gentle manner. They were great at listening and always wanted Mum to be comfortable with the decisions being made. They never made us feel rushed and were always there if we needed to follow up with a phone call. Mum also got a lot of relief from a massage they came and gave her at home.”
Help with a referral for carers to attend to Irene three times a day and being on-hand and fully briefed whenever she was discharged from hospital stays, also helped Nicole and the family feel fully supported when they needed it most.
Nicole, a fundraising novice, says she was looking for a sense of purpose after her Mum died in October and, when exploring the hospice’s website, discovered the Fun Walk.
“That’s why I set my target quite low to start with, because to be honest I wasn’t sure how much support I would get.”
Within 24 hours she’d smashed her initial £100 target. Two days later and she’d doubled it. By the end of the month Nicole had raised £300 and so it continued. Now, with more than £600 pledged, it looks like a dead cert that she’ll hit the latest – £700 target. Add the money pledged to her three co-walkers and the group will raise more than £1,000 for the hospice.
“I really didn’t know what to expect”
“I feel really pleasantly surprised, and it feels so good to hit the targets. I’m now trying to think of new ways to reach different people, like putting a poster up in my local café and in the window of the Crystal Palace St Christopher’s shop. An email graphic my sister has used at her work has also brought in money from people who never even knew our Mum!”
With a few weeks still to go before the Fun Walk at Keston Common on 11 May, Nicole would encourage anyone considering signing up to this or any other fundraising activity.
“I would say, just do it! Take the leap because every penny counts and there is no such thing as too little.
“You’ll also get the chance to have a really nice walk. You can always set the bar low to start with like I did and then be pleasantly surprised when you keep hitting it and then keep going.”
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