Gareth Heslop is aiming to add a little extra Christmas sparkle to the Season of Good Will with a special fundraiser in support of our patient services.
Gareth’s wife Sarah is living with both dementia and Motor Neurone Disease, one of only 700 people in the UK to have the dual diagnosis which has left her with virtually no memory, made her susceptible to dangerous infection and has severely affected her ability to eat, with choking therefore now a daily hazard.
She is currently being cared for by the St Luke’s in our In Patient Centre and it is as a tribute to the level of care both Sarah and the family are receiving that Gareth has launched his own Christmas appeal.
On Saturday, November 30, Gareth will launch a special Christmas Tree – provided by the Grow Me Trees Christmas Farm in Dore – outside Bents Green Church, near the family’s High Storrs home.
Throughout the event, which runs from 11.30am to 1.30pm, visitors will be able to buy decorations for the tree – which can be personalised in memory of a loved one - with all money raised going to St Luke’s.
And to add to the Festive atmosphere, there will also be a raffle, refreshments, a second-hand toy stall and a choir singing a selection of seasonal songs.
“To be honest, Sarah having both MND and dementia is like a marathon where you don’t know where the finish line is but the support we have received from St Luke’s, both at home and on the In Patient Centre, has meant so much to us,” said Gareth.
“It would have been too much to handle at home – medically it wouldn’t have been safe for Sarah and emotionally it wasn’t good for our sons.
“I want to show that people can get through tough times as long as society and the local community supports them.
“We hope that our special day at Bents Green Church will bring the community together and also raise vital funds for St Luke’s.
“Having experienced the care that St Luke’s has given us a family, we now know how important it is to do all we can to ensure other people can be supported in the same way.”