On the 4th of January, my mum’s birthday, I will be walking into the freezing sea — water temperatures around 7–9°C — to honour her, to feel close to her, and to raise money for the people who carried us through the darkest chapter of our lives.

My beautiful mum, Carol Hettie Steel, passed away from pancreatic cancer in March 2025.

Her one wish was brave and simple: she wanted to die at home.

So my sister, my brother, and I became her carers. We did everything we could, even when our hearts were shattering and exhaustion swallowed us whole. Watching someone you love fade away is a pain that never truly leaves you. It changes the way you breathe, the way you see the world, the way you love.

But in those unbearable hours — especially the long, lonely nights — The Elizabeth Hospice held us together.

I will never forget the way they arrived at 2am and 4am, stepping quietly into chaos like nurse angels. They topped up Mum’s pain relief, soothed her, reassured us, and stayed until the panic softened into peace. Then — only hours later — they returned again when everything spiralled. Their kindness felt like a warm light in a room that had gone cold.

They gave my mum dignity.

They gave us moments of calm in a storm of heartbreak.

They gave our family strength when we had none left.

Their compassion wasn’t just professional — it was profoundly human. They treated my mum like she mattered. They treated us like we mattered. And that is something I can never repay.

So this fundraiser is my way of saying thank you.

Thank you for helping Carol have the peaceful passing she wished for.

Thank you for supporting us when we were breaking.

Thank you for showing love exactly when it was needed most.

On 4th January, I’ll walk into that freezing sea for her — for the hospice — and for every family walking this painful road.

If you can donate anything at all, it would mean everything. Every penny helps these extraordinary, modern-day Florence Nightingales continue their vital work.

Thank you for reading, for caring, and for helping me honour my wonderful mum, Carol Hettie Steel.