Eight members of the same family run for Hayward House
Eight family members are coming together to run this year’s Robin Hood Half Marathon in aid of Hayward House, in memory of loved ones who were cared for there in their final days. Husband and wife Anthony and Lucy Underwood are raising money in memory of Anthony’s dad, David Underwood, and Lucy’s mum, Linda Brecknock, after they both passed away at Hayward House.
Lucy shares her story and why she and her family decided to take on the Robin Hood Half Marathon.
Mum passed away a month after her 84th birthday. She was sadly diagnosed with breast cancer at 63 but never let that define her. She had a real zest for life and her family was everything to her, and she loved her hobbies which included music, golf, and bridge. She was also an accomplished singer and won lots of festivals in her younger days as well as singing in choirs.
She was admitted to Hayward House after having recently been diagnosed with Diverticulitis, which is a condition which affects the bowel. After being looked after for a few weeks at QMC, she was informed that the antibiotics weren’t treating the infection, and it was likely she had a blocked bowel and that palliative care would be the next step.
At this stage, we were told mum’s health was deteriorating and that we should consider finding a bed at a hospital. Luckily, we managed to get a bed at Hayward House where she would spend her final six weeks being care for by staff. The doctors and staff supported mum through what was an extremely difficult time and the end of her life.
She was a proud lady, and her love and infectious personality made her final weeks at Hayward House feel dignified. Despite the staff being extremely busy, they always were available for mum. She loved to spend time in the garden to hear the birds and get some fresh air on her face. I am extremely grateful for their support for her in doing this.
Five years ago, I did a half marathon, and I always raised money for breast cancer. I always feel honoured to be able to raise money for great charities, including Breast Cancer Research but I felt that with all the support my mum received at Hayward House, it only felt like a natural next step to put on my running shoes and take on the challenge again.
It is my husband's 60th birthday this year and he wanted to encourage as many of our family members as possible to take on the Robin Hood Half as well, as his father also passed away from Motor Neurone Disease at Hayward House and received amazing care as well. We have managed to encourage the children in our family to get involved so there will be seven of us at the start of half marathon.
It will be me, my husband Anthony, grandchildren Sophie, Henry, James, Charlotte, William, and William’s girlfriend Katy, all taking on the challenge and raising as much as we can to thank them for all the care they gave our parents.
I am going to try my best as I’m not a natural runner, so it doesn’t come easily to me. I’ve been training as hard as I can whilst using the Couch to 5k app. I know that It’ll be fine on the day, and I’ll make everyone proud.
We’re wishing the whole family the best of luck and we know they’ll all do their loved ones proud. If you would like to sponsor them, please click here.
If you would like to run on behalf of Nottingham Hospitals Charity, please contact our team.