Dying man meets his angel

A dying man from Luton has come face-to-face with his angel.

Tony Jules, 63, from Sundon Park in Luton has terminal prostate cancer but turned his room at Keech Hospice Care in Luton into a fundraising hub to raise £40,000 to buy ‘an angel’ – the cost of a nurse for one year who will care for other terminally ill patients after he’s gone.

Lisa Jarman, staff nurse at Keech Hospice Care said she’s honoured to now be working for the charity and to be ‘Tony’s Angel’.

“He is an amazing, selfless man,” said Lisa. “When I got the job and found out I was Tony’s legacy it felt a little strange at first but such a privilege. I’ve never cared for a patient like Tony who, at the end of his life, still thinks about the needs of others before his own. I’d heard about Tony’s final mission to get an angel but I never expected I would be it! I’m thrilled it’s me.

“To have done what Tony has is such a fantastic legacy to leave and the support he’s had from across the globe to achieve his dying wish is amazing.

“Having just joined Keech, I’ve only cared for Tony for a few days but it’s clear he’s such an intelligent man. Despite being so ill and growing more and more tired everyday, he still holds me in great conversation and is a pleasure to care for,” she said.

Tony, whose total now stands at £44,340, said it was a magical moment to finally meet his angel.

“I’m so grateful to have achieved my final mission and to have met, and even been cared for, by my own angel,” Tony said. “If I’m honest, I didn’t know if I’d be around long enough to get her, let alone meet her.”

“ Lisa is fantastic, as are all the nurses here at Keech Hospice Care, and I feel satisfied knowing Lisa will go on to care for others just like me and their families long after I’ve gone,” he said.

Tony started his fundraising mission in August 2015 but has spent his whole life giving to the community.

“I’ve worked as the First Secretary for the Grenada High Commission, redeveloped troubled estates in London and was the Programme Director behind the £48.8 million regeneration of the troubled Marsh Farm Estate in Luton,” said Tony. “I always thought these would be my legacies but I wanted one more in place before I died – and here Lisa is!”

For further information contact Lorna Milton, Senior PR Officer at Keech Hospice Care on 01582 497874/ 07824606856 or at lmilton@keech.org.uk.

Watch what happened when nurses at Keech broke the news to Tony https://www.keech.org.uk/about/news-media/107-tony-jules-gets-his-angel.

To see all of Tony’s messages of support and donations visit https://www.justgiving.com/tonysangel.

Keech Hospice Care
Keech Hospice Care believes no one should have to face a life-limiting or terminal illness alone. It provides free specialist care for children from Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes and adults from Luton and Bedfordshire with progressive, life-limiting conditions from diagnosis up until the end of their life. Keech’s care extends to the entire family offering emotional, spiritual and practical support. For these families, when it seems as though nothing will be the same again, Keech is there to help. The care is not just provided at the hospice. It can also be provided in the hospital, school, care or family home – wherever support is needed most. Keech’s care does not stop at death. They continue to support families for as long as they needed afterwards.