“The love and care he was shown was unequalled and everyone deserves the peaceful, pain-free death that Liam had.” 

By listening to the needs of each patient, our expert clinical team can give comfort, dignity and respect, helping to ease pain and enabling people to spend quality time with those they love.  

For Liam McCarthy, that meant being able to have his devoted wife Jo by his side throughout his stay at our In-Patient Unit and precious moments with their young daughter, Livvy.  

The 44-year-old mechanic was admitted to the Hospice after the pain caused by his cancer became unmanageable at home.  

Jo said: “The district nurses were involved, but we just couldn’t manage his pain, and it wasn’t fair on him. Isabel Hospice had a family room available for us so we ended up going in to get his pain under control. The hope was that Liam would be able to come back home again, but I think I knew in my heart of hearts that probably wasn’t going to happen.’   

“At that point, we’d never had any experience of a hospice, and we both thought they were similar to care homes for older people. We had no idea how caring and supportive it would be, or how phenomenal the staff are.  

“I was able to stay with Liam, which was a great relief, and Livvy came every day. We had access to a garden and the staff even brought in a little play kitchen for her. Liam’s best friend came to visit and they were able to have a cheeky beer together, which meant so much to his friend. It never once felt like a hospital or clinical environment and every effort was made to make us feel at ease.” 

Liam was diagnosed with an extremely rare appendiceal cancer in November 2019. The condition is difficult to treat and despite undergoing several surgeries resulting in lengthy hospital stays along with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Liam was given the devastating news in early 2022 that his cancer had spread with the likelihood he had months to live. 

“The Hospice did everything they could to keep Liam comfortable and I don’t believe he was in pain at all during his time in the IPU,” Jo said. “The respect and care he was given, from the volunteers who make the tea, to the doctors and nurses, was extraordinary. What they were able to give Liam in his last days was beyond what I thought he could have. Without them, Livvy wouldn’t have been able to have that time with her Daddy, and I’ll always be able to talk to her about that. 

“Even after he’d passed, they showed him so much love and care. I wanted to help, and they supported me to do that, talking to him the whole time and caring for him so tenderly. There isn’t a single person in that whole building who doesn’t have anything but respect and love for you. Nothing ever felt too much; they were pure angels.” 

Jo added: “The experience at the Hospice is equal to private healthcare, but you just don’t pay for it. We had no idea that it was voluntarily funded, and the Monday before Liam died he said to me that he wanted us to raise money for Isabel Hospice and the wonderful people who had looked after him so well.  

“I remember him saying that everyone deserves to die with all the love and dignity they have given me. The love and care he was shown was unequalled and everyone deserves the peaceful, pain-free death that Liam had.” 

More than 200 people attended Liam’s funeral, all wearing something pink in homage to the pink Ralph Lauren shirts Liam always liked to wear, and the McCarthy family have already donated £10,000 raised in his memory. 

Friends and family have also been inspired to fundraise for the Hospice, including Liam’s cousin Rebecca Dye, who organised a bake sale that raised £3,000, and an artist friend who auctioned a painting, raising more than £500.   

During 2023, the McCarthy’s hope to raise another £10,000 in Liam’s name, and have mooted the idea of a Pink Gala Ball sometime later in the year.   

Jo said: “During your life you don’t think much about the end, but we now know what a difference hospice care can make. Nothing can change the circumstances we were dealt, but Liam really valued his death at the Hospice. He felt comfortable enough to pass there, and that’s a big thing.  

“A peaceful, dignified death is what we all deserve, and the fact that Liam was able to have that brings us so much solace and peace.”