Keeping Hannah’s memory alive
Hannah and I had been together since she was 18 and I was 21. She was my best friend, and the most incredible mum to Mila.
At Easter 2022, Hannah found a lump in her breast and was diagnosed with cancer. She had a double mastectomy and after treatment we were told everything looked clear. We got married in Turkey the following year and looked forward to the future.
But not long after our wedding, Hannah started suffering with back pain. When she went back to the doctors, we were devastated to learn the cancer had returned and spread to her spine. In April 2024, we were told her cancer was terminal.
Even then, Hannah never gave up hope. Despite weekly chemotherapy and endless hospital appointments, she stayed funny, caring and thoughtful. She was still being an amazing mum to Mila while going through so much herself.
As Hannah became more unwell, I left my job as an air conditioning engineer so I could care for both Hannah and Mila full-time. Life completely changed.
Keech became a place of comfort
In the last month of Hannah’s life, her symptoms worsened and she spent time both in hospital and at Keech Hospice. Before that, I think I had the same misunderstanding a lot of people have about hospices. I thought it was just somewhere people went at the very end.
But Keech was so much more than that.
From the moment we arrived, the staff treated Hannah with so much kindness and dignity. They got to know her as a person, not just a patient. Even though she was in pain and struggling with her symptoms, they helped her still feel like herself.
As a family, we made sure Hannah was never alone. There was always someone by her side.
The staff cared for all of us, not just Hannah. In the hardest moments of our lives, they brought calmness and compassion. They made an unbearable situation feel less frightening.
In the early hours of 24 May 2025, Hannah died peacefully at Keech.
That was the hardest moment of my life.
Now Mila talks about her mum having gone ‘over the rainbow’. We speak about Hannah every day because I never want Mila to forget how loved she was by her mum. Every night before bed, we look through photos and videos together from happier times when Hannah was well, and Mila says goodnight to her.
Mila is such a typical little girl. She loves Disney, makeup, horse riding and bouncing on her trampoline. She’s definitely inherited Hannah’s strong personality too.
Running for Keech
After Hannah died, I needed something positive to focus on, so I signed up for the London Marathon to raise money for Keech Hospice.
I’d never run a marathon before in my life, and honestly, I thought it would probably be my first and last. But every mile reminded me why I was doing it.
Keech gave Hannah such incredible care and gave our family support when we needed it most. Even after Hannah’s death, they continued to support our family, such as with music therapy for Mila. Running the marathon felt like a way to say thank you, while also helping other families who will one day need that same support.
The day of the marathon was a hot one, and it took longer than I thought, but I did it. I’ve even entered the ballot for next year!
This Father’s Day was meant to look very different. We’d planned to return to Turkey with family, the place where Hannah and I got married, but we had to cancel the trip because of what’s going on in the world. Instead, we’re planning a big family roast dinner together.
Father’s Day will always be tinged with sadness in some respects, but it’s also a reminder of how lucky I am to have Mila, and of the happiness and love Hannah and I shared.
Keech helped us create peace and comfort during the darkest time imaginable. I honestly don’t know how we would have got through it without them.
