23/12/2025
Christmas can be so tough. 💔 Jak shares what it was like to care for his mum at the end of her life over the Christmas period.
“My mum was always the rock of our family. She gave us everything she had... her heart, her love, and her resilience. She made sure we had holidays, laughter, and a sense of normality despite the weight she carried on her shoulders.
“The signs were there long before she was diagnosed. She had lost so much weight so quickly, but when she went to the doctor, she got brushed off. That went on for months. When she finally saw her regular doctor, that’s when we found out. Stomach cancer.
“She finished her treatment in October and early in December had a check-up of which everything looked to be all clear. We celebrated... we thought that was it.
“But two weeks later, on Christmas morning she was a strange colour, almost jaundice looking, and she had to go back into hospital on Christmas Day. Just after New Year, we were told there was nothing more they could do.
“Our last Christmas defined by a disease that doesn’t care what time of the year it is.
“Then there was Marie Curie. When they came into our home, we all thought, how do they do this every day? They gave her dignity. They made sure she was comfortable. And they helped us, too.
“When mum was still on her feet doing the usual mum things, they told her she shouldn’t be. Marie Curie knew. They knew everything. They were a quiet presence... always there, never intrusive, but always exactly where they needed to be. Without them, I don’t know how we would’ve coped.”
