Peter’s story
Peter Cockburn, 80 (and a half), of High Hatton, talks about meeting the newest member of his family.
I’ve had prostate cancer for 15 years. I’ve had regular visits to the doctor but I’ve always bounced back.
I was referred to the Hospice two or three weeks ago. My doctor got me across here. I was in Ward 21 for radiotherapy before that. I asked if I was fit to go home and they agreed, but then I deteriorated – which brings me here.
I had no idea the Hospice existed until then. I didn’t know anything about hospices. I wondered what to expect, but then you get here and talk to someone and they tell you ‘We’ll try to put you right, for the time that you’ve got.’
I’ve never been so relaxed in all my 80 years of life. That’s truthful, I don’t jazz. It’s peace. Care. Love. Affection. You can’t fault it. Can not fault it.
My daughter was pregnant and we knew she’d be having the baby in Shrewsbury. Then her waters broke yesterday morning. She went straight to Shrewsbury . She rang me in the Hospice at about 8.30 yesterday morning to say I had a grand daughter. I said ‘Wonderful!’
They were absolutely rapturous here. It was just right, up and in the minibus to go and see her. They were all hanging out of the window in the kitchen, waving me off. Two and a half hours after the birth, I saw my newborn grand daughter – absolutely brilliant. My daughter didn’t know I was going so it was a tonic for her. I couldn’t even have done that from home, it was absolutely magic.
Where else could you be a patient where they’d get you up, put you in a minibus and get you to Shrewsbury. No human being could wish for anything better than that.
I was determined to make it until my grand daughter was born. Now my next milestone will be her christening.
