4 May 2023 Community

Bethan Day runs Brighouse 10k raising funds for The Kirkwood in memory of her mum Susan

On the 23rd April Bethan Day ran the Brighouse 10k with her sister and close friends in memory of her mum Susan Day who we cared for at the end of her life in 2022. Bethan has raised over £700 for The Kirkwood in what was a fantastic and emotional day for them all. 

Supported by her dad Andrew, Bethan and her sister Nicola ran an emotional race whilst thinking about their mum. 

After completing the race, Bethan said: "It went well and felt great afterwards, it was good knowing what we were doing was for an amazing cause. I was with my sister and some of my closest friends who have known me and my mum for a long time. My dad was there as well, cheering us on which was fantastic. It was quite a big moment for all of us, it was emotional when we got to the end. 

"Me and my sister ran together for the whole thing, and we spent a lot of time talking about my mum as we were running along. We were reminiscing about her and laughing about the good times. We also said that she would probably think we were bonkers for doing it. There is a big age gap between me and my sister but we have become very close since our mum has died." 

Susan died aged 71 at the end of 2022, and Bethan wanted to express her thanks once again to our amazing The Kirkwood nurses for helping to support not just Bethan's mum but the family too. 

Bethan recalled: "I am a supply teacher so luckily I could work as and when I am needed. My mum was a fiercely independent woman and so didn't want any sort of help at home from The Kirkwood. However they did come to fit things around the house that helped her.

"The nurses came to talk to us which was huge because I was heavily pregnant at the time too and things were difficult. It was a lot of pressure and so it was helpful to talk to someone that wasn't directly involved. 

"One of the big things The Kirkwood did to help us was support my daughter through that whole period of our lives. My daughter was only eight years old and she's never had to deal with anything like that before. Olivia was very close to my mum. She kept us all going, because she showed so much strength when my mum went into the hospice. She went to visit her the day before she died so that she could say her goodbyes. 

"The nurses were incredible with her to the point where they had this sort of animatronic cat out on the front desk, and they let Liv hold it and look after it while we were there. The nurses saw that it gave Liv so much comfort whilst she was there they let her keep the cat. That cat is the most precious possession in Liv's life 

"She got a name engraved on it and she holds on to it as it is the most important thing in her world. It was just the loveliest gesture from the nurses and something they didn't have to do. 

"For a long time my mum tried to keep as much as possible from Liv because you don't want to burden the kids with news like that, at that age. However she is a very perceptive little girl and figured it all out. Towards the end we wanted to give that special moment to Liv and my mum." 

Finally Bethan talks about how important she thinks The Kirkwood is to the Kirklees community with the care we provide. 

She explained: "I think it's absolutely necessary, especially within our community. People go through so much and to know that the care is there, no matter who you are or where you come from in Kirklees, I think is so incredibly important. We can't thank The Kirkwood enough for how they cared for my mum and our family."