Christmas @Home is the title of this year’s festive appeal by East Cheshire Hospice.
The campaign features a powerful personal account by a daughter about her late mum, Wendy Wragg.
Ruth Beach describes how nurses from the charity’s Hospice @Home team allowed her 88-year-old mum to die at home in April 2023.
The Hospice hopes Ruth sharing her experience will encourage supporters to donate so that others can receive the same care.
The Hospice @Home team supported 501 patients and families in their own home last year.
Wendy Wragg and her daughter Ruth who is sharing their story as part of a Christmas appeal.
Wendy, a silk mill worker in Macclesfield in her youth, lived with her daughter for more than five years as her pulmonary fibrosis worsened, spending several weeks in hospital.
Ruth said: “I knew mum wanted to be at home and organised an end-of-life package but quickly realised we couldn’t give her the care she needed.
“As an only child, I felt completely alone and overwhelmed. How was I going to care for her and make sure everything was right?
“A nurse suggested getting the Hospice @Home team to help. The moment they walked into our home, everything changed, as though a weight had been lifted. They were like angels.
“I felt comforted, cared for, supported and it was such a relief that I finally had somebody to lean on.
“They made mum comfortable, washed her, and dealt with her medication. With the Hospice @Home nurses there, I could go back to being a daughter again.
“It was mum’s wish to be at home. It meant the world to her and me. Her final moments were so peaceful with me and our dog, Esther, by her side.”
Wendy Wragg who was cared for by the Hospice @Home team.
Ruth’s story is being shared with supporters, along with an appeal from Tess Cleaver, manager of the Hospice @Home service.
Tess said: “For some of our patients and their loved ones, this will be the last Christmas they share together, so every moment matters more than ever.
“With your help, we can make those moments truly precious.
“Our nurses and healthcare assistants ensure people have the dignity and comfort they deserve when life feels most fragile.
“We give family who have become carers the chance to go back to being mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, sisters, or brothers.
“This Christmas, please help us bring choice, compassionate care, and cherished moments. Your gift will make a real difference for families facing the hardest of times.” * To donate visit www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/christmas-appeal-2025.