This year’s Light Up a Life service will take place on Sunday 21st December at 2.30pm at Pendleside Hospice.
It is a special time to come together, reflect, and remember our loved ones. Everyone is invited to attend, no matter their connection to the Hospice.
Marie-Louise Nixon will be remembering her much-loved mum, Gladys Walsh, who died in September 2024 on Pendleside’s Inpatient Unit (IPU). For Marie-Louise, the Hospice has been part of her life in many ways – as a nurse, a carer, and now as someone who has experienced first-hand the care and compassion that Pendleside provides.
Marie-Louise first worked at the Hospice many years ago as a registered nurse on IPU, starting as bank staff while her children were young. In 2011, she joined permanently with the Hospice at Home team. When her mum’s health began to decline in 2020, Marie-Louise left her role to care for Gladys full-time. After her mum’s passing, she felt ready to share her story and highlight just how much the Hospice supported them both. She has also returned to Pendleside, now working bank shifts as a Healthcare Assistant across the Inpatient Unit and the Health, Wellbeing & Rehabilitation department.
Reflecting on being back, Marie-Louise said, “After many years working as a nurse, it feels lovely to be part of Pendleside again; it's like coming home. The Hospice has changed and adapted over the years, but what hasn’t changed is the care and dedication shown to patients and families. That remains at the heart of everything.”
Over the years, both Marie-Louise and her mum utilised many of Pendleside’s services. “I feel like we’ve accessed almost every service.” Marie-Louise attended the Carer’s Group on Saturday mornings, which gave her the chance to meet others in similar situations, and took her mum to the Neurological Group – a session Gladys really enjoyed taking part in.
Gladys was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in her early 80s. By 2020, Marie-Louise was providing round-the-clock care, supported by Pendleside’s Hospice at Home team. “I was fortunate to know who to turn to,” she said. “As a nurse myself, I knew how easy it was to make a referral and speak directly with the Hospice team. You’re not passed around – you speak straight to the people providing the care, and they genuinely care. They treated my mum like their own. Thanks to their night sits, I was able to sleep, knowing she was comfortable and in safe hands. They really got to know her on a personal level, and that meant so much.”
Gladys was well known in her community of Cliviger. “My mum was such a sociable person. She loved people and loved life. She was always on the go – you couldn’t go anywhere without her stopping to chat! She worked as a dinner lady, enjoyed shop work and volunteered with the witness support service at Burnley Crown Court, till her late 70s.”
In August 2024, over the bank holiday weekend, Gladys’ health deteriorated, and she was admitted to Blackburn Hospital and then Pendle Community Hospital. As her condition worsened, Marie-Louise knew it was time to bring her mum to Pendleside. “The day after I made the referral, she was admitted onto IPU where I stayed with her every day and night, before she passed away on the 19th September. By being there with my mum, I could be a daughter first and foremost.”
Encouraged by her friend and colleague, Kate Gerrety, Hospice at Home Sister, Marie-Louise will speak at this year’s Light Up a Life service. “Kate told me to ‘do it for Gladys’, and I feel honoured to be part of this year’s Light Up a Life and I know mum would be proud that I was taking part in this important service. I would love people to come and join us, so we can all remember our loved ones together.”
Since Gladys passed away, Marie-Louise has also received family support from Pendleside. “I kept putting it off, but Kate encouraged me to give it a try. Talking to someone outside of my family and friends made such a difference.”
Marie-Louise is determined to raise awareness of all the services the Hospice provides. “I want people in Burnley and Pendle to know how lucky we are to have Pendleside Hospice. It’s there for everyone – not just those with cancer, but anyone living with advanced, long term or life limiting illnesses, offering a wide range of services from the IPU to Hospice at Home support, to Meals on Wheels deliveries to day services and bereavement support. By sharing my story, I hope to encourage others to reach out if they need help.”
If you wish to learn more about our Celebration of Life Service and would like to dedicate a light to your loved one, please visit our Light Up a Life event page for more details.