Last updated at 20:13, Thursday, 24 May 2012

A Workington woman will take part in the Midnight Walk for Hospice at Home West Cumbria to give back to the charity which has supported her since her husband’s death two years ago.

Lisa Bland

Lisa Bland, 43, of Chaucer Road, will take part in this year’s fund-raising event in memory of husband Stephen who died from cancer in March 2010, aged 32.

She will be accompanied by her daughter Victoria, 20, on the women-only six-mile walk on June 29 in Workington.

Hospice at Home helped to care for Stephen, who worked as a mechanical fitter at Sellafield, and since his death the charity’s help has proved essential to the family.

Last September, Victoria went to university in Staffordshire and Lisa and Stephen’s youngest son Ben started pre-school.

Lisa said her world fell apart as the grief she had been holding on to for so long overwhelmed her.

She said: “Last year was horrendous. I cried for a solid week and I couldn’t even take the kids to school.

She said: “You feel like you have done your grieving while you are caring, and afterwards you feel numb and end up being strong for family and friends because you don’t want them to see you are not coping.

“The hospice was a lifeline.

“I don’t know what would have happened without being able to pick up the phone and have them there.”

Carol Green, the charity’s family and bereavement support worker, visited Lisa every day and has continued to support her with regular visits.

Carol has helped Lisa to deal with her grief and also with explaining things to her sons, three-year-old Ben and five-year-old Spencer.

Lisa said: “You just need someone to pick you up, and having them there to talk to gives you more of a reason to carry on and hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Entry forms for the walk can be found at the hospice fund-raising office at Cumberland House, Oxford Street, Workington, in hospice charity shops and the Times & Star office in Oxford Street.

Entries can also be made online at www.hospiceat homewestcumbria.org.uk

First published at 19:21, Thursday, 24 May 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk