Susan Shackleton
A hospice nurse is swapping her nurse’s uniform and stethoscope for a wet suit and googles to raise funds for the patients she helps care for.
Susan Shackleton, 42 from Stamford, is a senior nurse at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, which has just been announced as this year’s charity partner for SwimRutland.
On hearing the news, Susan took the plunge and signed up online for a 4km open water swim at: www.swimrutland.com.
All swimmers taking part in the event on Sunday 11th August, or the exhilarating swim under the stars NightSwim on 31st August, can raise funds in sponsorship for the hospice. And Susan hopes to raise £500 for local families needing the expert and compassionate palliative care she and her colleagues help give.
She added, “Working at Thorpe Hall I see first-hand what the hospice staff do for patients and families. It is a real privilege to care for patients and families at such as private and sensitive time.”
“I have heard so many patients and families arrive and say if only they had known what the hospice was like, they wished they had come sooner. They are surprised by the happiness within the hospice, the calmness and the services we offer as well as the fact that we are run by donations to our charity.”
“The hospice is close to my heart, so challenging myself with something I enjoy and raising money is good for everyone! I am looking forward to swimming to help raise funds in support of people needing end of life care, and hope lots of other people will take the plunge and join me.”
Susan will be swimming alongside her husband, Andrew, in memory of his father, Stuart, who received care at the hospice. Susan added, “My father in law spent a few weeks at the hospice for symptom management and was able to return home with better pain control, where he had chosen to be cared for at the end. We’ll be swimming across Rutland Water in his memory. He really enjoyed visiting Rutland Water and did some sailing with the RAF there many years ago.”
Hannah Lee is organiser of SwimRutland. She said, ““Partnering with Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice was an easy choice for us. We know and understand how incredibly hard it is to keep the hospice and their services running and we knew we could support them, even in a small way. The care and support that the hospice provides for people across Peterborough, Stamford and Oakham is invaluable. When visiting the hospice I was blown away by the detail in care, from the homely rooms, to the petting dogs that visit the patients, to the stunning gardens and calming family rooms. To then learn that the majority of the funding is from charity was mind blowing and we knew we wanted to help straight away.”
To sign up to SwimRutland and raise funds in sponsorship for Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice visit: www.swimrutland.com.
For more information on Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice visit: www.sueryder.org/thorpehall.
