16 Aug 2018 Community

Betty Walsh: A Kirkwood Pioneer

Today we are bringing you the story of Betty Walsh; a person who was instrumental in the formation of Kirkwood Hospice.

Betty was one of several local people who met one summer’s evening in June 1981 to discuss the possibility of a hospice for Kirklees. Betty had responded to a letter that had featured in the Examiner.

Local resident, David Stocks, had penned this letter urging people to contact him if they agreed that there should be a facility in the area that provided compassionate care to those suffering from terminal illnesses.

Betty had recently cared for Husband, John, who had died from lung cancer in 1979. Betty was John’s carer for the duration of his illness and had looked after him at home. At the time, there was no care available locally for those approaching the end of life.

Betty with her husband, John.

 

John’s illness progressed rapidly after he was diagnosed in May 1979 and sadly died in November that year. The toll of caring for John without any professional help took its toll on Betty.

She suffered from stress related alopecia, which caused her hair to fall out. Betty also lost a lot of weight because of the trauma she experienced at witnessing John’s health decline.

Betty responded to David’s letter when she saw it in the newspaper. She saw it as an opportunity to ensure that others would not have to go through the distress that she been through whilst caring for John.

Betty, along with the other people who were present at the meeting that evening, all contributed 50p each to kick-start the fundraising efforts for the new hospice. Together, they collected £4.50, which in time would turn into hundreds of thousands of pounds that was needed for the new hospice. 

Betty Walsh

 

Over the next few years, Betty dedicated her life to fundraising for the new hospice. She organised many events including coffee mornings and jumble sales to fundraise for the Hospice appeal.

In 1982, she helped to set up the Dalton support group, which went on to raise many thousands of pounds for Kirkwood. The very first meeting of the Dalton Support Group was hosted by Betty at her home.

Betty’s son, Mike said “The fundraising for the new hospice was a great focus for Mum and gave her a purpose after Dad died. She was determined to make the dream of a hospice in Kirklees a reality to ensure that local people suffering from terminal illnesses had the care and support they deserved.

“Whilst she was fundraising, it was difficult to get Mum to think about anything else. We even struggled to take her on holiday! All she wanted to do was to raise money so that Kirklees could have a hospice of its own.”

"She was determined to make the dream of a hospice in Kirklees a reality to ensure that local people suffering from terminal illnesses had the care and support they deserved." Mike Walsh

Kirkwood Hospice opened its doors in 1987 to care for local people affected by life-limiting illnesses. As someone who had been instrumental in raising the money to achieve this, Betty was invited to the opening ceremony. However, she politely declined the invitation. She felt that her job was now done.

Mike added “Mum was a very private person who did not enjoy the limelight. She was just glad that she could help fundraise and play a role in the creation of Kirkwood. She enjoyed fundraising and it was something that gave her a lot of pleasure.”

Sadly, Betty died in December 2017. We would like to say thank you to Betty and pay tribute to her dedication. Without people like Betty, Kirkwood Hospice would not be here today.