What followed was a whirlwind: airlifted home, hospital stays, a cancer diagnosis, and the shocking news that her previously benign tumour had transformed into an aggressive, incurable brain cancer.
“I was 36 and discharged with one side of my body not working. I thought they were going to make me better.”
— Katie, a patient supported in our Wellbeing Centre
Katie describes the months that followed as some of the hardest in her life—navigating cancer treatment, recovery from the stroke, and the emotional toll of being suddenly dependent on others for basic daily tasks. “I couldn’t walk or dress myself. I felt let down, invisible—like I wasn’t being treated as a whole person.”

It wasn’t until a community occupational therapist suggested Keech Hospice that Katie even considered hospice support. “I thought I wasn’t ill enough. I pictured hospices as places you go right at the end. But a trusted friend whose mum was supported by Keech said, ‘Just go…’ So, I did. I told my partner I was taking him on a date – to the hospice.”
Katie attended an open day at Keech and everything changed. “I walked into a place that was warm, spotless, welcoming. It didn’t smell clinical. It didn’t feel like a hospital. It felt like somewhere I could just be Katie again.
Keech became a safe space
From that moment, Keech became a safe space for Katie to build back her physical strength, confidence, and independence. She now takes part in physiotherapy sessions, the gardening group, and receives personalised support from the palliative rehab team.
“They remember my name. I’m treated as a person, not a patient. That makes all the difference.”
She’s also accessed support to help plan for the future, something she says has brought her peace of mind. “I’ve chosen my funeral songs and completed all the paperwork. That means I can stop worrying about it and get on with living, time is precious”.

Katie is now an advocate for hospice care, speaking openly about how it’s transformed her life and her view of what a hospice really is. “It’s spotless, it smells lovely, it’s warm, it’s uplifting. Keech is about helping people live well. I didn’t come too early. If anything, I wish I’d come sooner.” It’s about living fully—with joy, dignity, and confidence, even in the most uncertain of times.
Now 37, Katie is even planning a return to work from home.
“Keech has given me the confidence to think about the future again. I can get myself here, do my sessions on my own, that independence means everything.”
Katie’s message is clear: “Don’t rule out hospice care. Come to an open day. Talk to someone. You might be surprised—just like I was. Keech hasn’t just helped me face the end with peace. It’s helped me live my life now with joy.”