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At Sue Ryder, we can鈥檛 make life鈥檚 most difficult moments easy, but we can carry some of the load. For more than 70 years, we have been a source of strength and support for anyone living with a life-limiting illness or grief.听

Dying and grief are universal experiences, but too many people face them alone. We are a safe and reassuring hand you can reach for. From providing care and support for someone at the end of their life to helping someone manage their grief, we know there is no one size fits all when it comes to how we cope and the help we need. We campaign for everyone who is approaching the end of their life or grieving to have access to the right support, at the right time. And we seek to break down the barriers to talking about dying and grief - so we can all be better prepared and better equipped to be there for each other.听

We can make a positive difference during even the darkest of times. Whether in the last months, weeks or days of life, or living with grief, we help people live the best life they possibly can. We are there when it matters. 听听

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Last year, my beloved husband, Mel, died. It was, and still is, the hardest thing I鈥檝e ever had to deal with. Having the right support at times like this makes a vital difference.听

And while the death of someone you love will always be heartbreaking, compassionate end of life care, and support when you are grieving, can give families hope for the future.

The palliative care and bereavement charity, Sue Ryder, give that hope to thousands of people every year. The charity鈥檚 nurses and doctors care for people with life-limiting conditions in its hospices and in people鈥檚 own homes. And its range of free bereavement support is available to anyone in the UK who needs it.

By supporting Sue Ryder, you will ensure no one faces death or grief alone and in the last year, I鈥檝e learnt how important that is.

Molly was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. Although she was given the all-clear a year later, in 2020 she was told the cancer had returned and spread to the bones in her pelvis.听听

Now Molly, 59, is making the most of the time she has left and, with the support of her Sue Ryder hospice, is fulfilling some long-held ambitions. She has driven a Porsche, tried on wedding dresses, taken her brother to a football match, planted an oak tree, done a zip wire, learned to crochet and even adopted a dog.

Molly said: 鈥淲hen it got to a point where I was in a lot of pain the doctors put me in touch with Sue Ryder and I was assigned Vicki, a Sue Ryder nurse, who helps me to manage my pain. I can call her if I need anything and sometimes she just listens when I need a cry. I know that the hospice is going to be there for me through my whole journey, the good and the bad, which is so reassuring.鈥澨�

Mark鈥檚 brother James was diagnosed with cancer in his spine at the age of 25. When he was referred for palliative care, a nurse from Sue Ryder鈥檚 community team initially supported James at home. He had a wish list of things he wanted to achieve including going abroad to watch a football match.

Mark said: 鈥淭he nurse was heavily involved in making it happen, making sure he had any medication he needed, organising his medical notice to go abroad and arranging for him to have a blood transfusion if his platelets were low.听From day one she was amazing.鈥�

When it became too difficult to care for James at home, he was admitted to the Sue Ryder hospice where Mark stayed with him. He said: 鈥淛ames actually passed away on my daughter鈥檚 birthday and that morning the nurses organised for a cake to be brought in so he could sing happy birthday with us. They really went that extra mile.鈥澨�

When her daughter, Laura, died suddenly at the age of 25, Sarah discovered support, comfort and the chance to connect with other parents who were grieving for adult children through Sue Ryder鈥檚 online bereavement services.听听

Sarah found it helped to read the stories on Sue Ryder鈥檚 Online Bereavement Community and realised that other people were experiencing the same feelings. She also used Sue Ryder鈥檚 free Online Bereavement Counselling Service.

Sarah said: 鈥淲ith the online community especially, when you are crying and you don鈥檛 want to see anyone, or it鈥檚 2am and anywhere else would be shut, you can go on there and you can belong to something that will give you that strength.听

鈥淪ue Ryder has played a huge part in how I have tried to navigate and understand my grief. There are still going to be some tough days to come but it鈥檚 nice to be able to think of Laura with a smile on my face now.鈥濃��听