My wife, Angela, and I were married for 53 years and I can honestly say they were the happiest years of my life. We first met in the village pub, and from that moment on, we went everywhere together.

Angela was the heart of our home. She was kind, easy going, and loved by everyone she met. She was an incredible cook, and her speciality was her lemon drizzle cake, which I loved. I have since learnt how to make it myself. It’s one way of still keeping a piece of her with me.

In 2013, our world changed when Angela was diagnosed with breast cancer.

For the next few years, we fought this battle the way we did everything else – together. I went with her to every appointment, held her hand through every treatment.

But when she was admitted to hospital, things were difficult. The care wasn’t what it should have been. Angela was put in a ward away from the main corridor, hardly seeing any people at all. Eventually, she asked me to take her home, and I knew we needed something better.

That’s when Isabel Hospice came into our lives. The difference was immediate. Their Hospice at Home team called us every morning, checking in, making sure we were okay. They arrived at set times, and I could count on them. They made sure Angela’s symptoms and pain were managed and they took the time to talk to me, and ask how I was doing. They didn’t just care for Angela, they cared for me, too. And that meant the world.

After three weeks, Angela was moved to the Isabel Hospice In-Patient Unit, and I was amazed by how different it was from the hospital. There was always someone there, someone who genuinely cared, who made sure Angela was comfortable. The volunteers were incredible too, always bringing me a cup of tea and making sure I had something to eat. That level of care wasn’t something I had expected, and I felt more at ease knowing Angela was being looked after so wonderfully.

Without Isabel Hospice, this experience would have been so much more of a struggle for the both of us. They made the hardest time of my life a little bit easier, and I will never forget that.

I donate to Isabel Hospice whenever I can, because I want others to know that in the face of such a horrendous time: there is support, there is care, and there is a place where you are not alone. I can’t speak too highly of the work they do.

Since Angela died, the winter has been a difficult time of year for me. After spending more than 50 Christmases together, her absence is always felt so much more deeply. That’s why I include Angela’s name in the Lights of Love Book of Dedications and go to an Isabel Hospice Lights of Love service every year. The first time I attended one, I was overwhelmed by the number of people there, all of us sharing the same grief. We were all there to honour those we loved, and it meant so much to me to see that I wasn’t alone in this journey.

If you’re able to, I’d encourage you to include the name of a loved one in the Lights of Love Book of Dedications and attend a service this year. It’s a chance to remember our loved ones and to show support for a charity that makes such a difference in the lives of families just like mine and yours every single day.

Find out more about Lights of Love and about making a dedication here.