“Our work is so important because we touch people’s lives”

I've been with Marie Curie for around four years now. I'm a nurse on the Urgent Hospice Care at Home team, which means I typically work overnight. My team is on call to respond quickly to patients' needs, especially palliative and end of life patients. We give controlled medication to keep the person peaceful and free from pain. We also verify deaths and provide bereavement support to families.

We tend to ambulance patients quite a lot – usually, the ambulance crew gives us a call because they need help on how to best meet someone's needs. We usually don't give telephone advice; normally I say, 'I'm coming,' because it's too much to explain on the phone!

Supporting people who are alone

We provide personal care and support patients who are by themselves and not always known to the district nurse services.

This is the part of the job I find most difficult, to be honest. I find it difficult to leave people knowing they're on their own. It's awful for them to be alone in the middle of the night, so I try to do urgent referrals so they can get the help they need.

We help provide peace and pain relief at the end of life

Our work is so important because we touch people's lives. Recently I attended to a call where a family member had passed away. The son told us that his father had died a year before, and that the family had to wait seven hours for someone to come and verify his death. It was horrifying for them.

That's why our rapid response service is so appreciated. We can be there, quickly, when we're needed, helping families feel content and satisfied that their loved one can die peacefully and without pain.

The people we care for stay with us

I was called to give pain relief to a young woman. She had always dreamt of starting a family but was then diagnosed with late-stage cancer. She decided to freeze her eggs before starting treatment, only to be told her cancer had progressed too much for chemotherapy. That got me.

I was talking to her while giving her an injection, and her dad showed me a picture of a dress. It was the dress that she wanted to wear at her funeral. She also showed me a photo of a coffin – it was the one she had picked out to be buried in. She'd already paid for it.

My colleague started crying, but I tried to stay positive because I wanted to be strong for her. When I got back to my car, I burst into tears. I really felt for her and her family.

We help people's last wishes come true

All of our Nurses and Healthcare Assistants do a fantastic job making sure that our patients and their families receive a high level of support and care. It means we can fulfil people's last wishes in the comfort of their own home, with those they love by their side.

By sponsoring a Marie Curie Nurse, you can help us be there for more people during their last months, days and hours. Sponsor a Nurse and make sure no one is left to struggle when they need us most.