If you asked Sue Lenthall why she’s signing up for our Night Strider event and the answer is simple…for Pete’s sake!
It’s more than six months since Sue’s husband Pete died at the age of 43 after living with Multiple Sclerosis from the age of 28.
For two years Pete was supported by our St Luke's Community Nursing team, our Therapies and Rehabilitation Centre and our In Patient Centre.
After Pete passed away Sue and children Sam, aged 20, 16-year-old Bronte and Florence, nine, knew they wanted to do something in recognition of the high level of support Pete received from the charity.
“Pete was a very inspirational man, very dignified and courageous and with such a great sense of humour – and St Luke’s helped him to keep all that right to the end,” says Sue, who lives in Bradway.
“In the last year of his life, when it became increasingly clear that he needed end of life care, he didn’t want to go into hospital but that’s when St Luke’s became so important to him.”
Peter actually spent his finally Christmas and New Year at St Luke’s, surrounded by the family he loved.
“It was an emotional rollercoaster of a ride and I don’t know how much he was aware towards the end but I do know the care was absolutely outstanding, the best care we ever received,” Sue says.
“St Luke’s is such a vital service will touch everybody’s life at some point – it helped Pete have the dignified death he deserved and gave his family the support that we needed.”
When the Lenthalls heard about Night Strider, therefore, they knew that they would be taking part and that they would be encouraging their friends – including members of Sue’s Weightwatchers group - to sign up too.
Last year saw 1,000 people take to the streets for the first St Luke’s Night Strider, a sponsored half marathon and 10k event that lit up the autumn darkness – and raised more than £100,000 for Sheffield’s only hospice.
And on Saturday 8 October, Night Strider – sponsored by Gripple - will be back, with the aim of seeing more people than ever before taking part and raising even more money than last year.
“The Night Strider walk will take us into the morning of the first wedding anniversary that I will not be with him,” Sue explains.
“We would have celebrated 12 years of marriage this year and it is also my birthday and I cannot think of a better way of spending it than doing something that will keep Pete close in mind and heart and that will benefit such a fantastic and worthy cause as St Luke's.
“I will be walking with Sam, Bronte and Florence and I know that having this challenge and goal is a positive way in which we can find some comfort in our grief and hopefully help other people.
Registration to Night Strider costs £25 per person. Make a difference to the lives of our patients and sign up now to stride with us.