FOUR years have passed since Caroline Leslie lost her mum Margaret.

But still finds comfort knowing that she was able to take her mum home from hospital, to spend her last hours with her family.

Margaret, who suffered from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, passed away quickly but she knew she was at home, Caroline said, something that would have meant a great deal to her.

"I knew the option for her to go home was available," she said, "Not many people realise if you are seriously ill in hospital you can get home.

"She never liked hospitals. She was always very reluctant to go in and when we realised she was getting towards the end of her life we got her home."

The experience has given her an even greater empathy for the people she cares for as a Marie Curie nurse. Caroline is one of a team of nurses in the York area who provide care for patients with terminal illnesses in the comfort of their own homes.

Four nights a week, she leaves home in Osbaldwick at 10pm and doesn't return home until 7am when most people are starting their day.

The 51-year-old cares for patients with various illnesses, including cancer, motor neurone disease, heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

As well as offering practical support, Caroline has been known to help with simple tasks including baking, dog walking and painting nails.

Each person is in a different situation but Caroline said it is a privilege to be there to make things easier.

She remembers caring for a mum of younger children. "Just being able to be there so she could be at home with the children made things easier because if they had to go to a hospice or a hospital environment it wouldn't be as personal for them," she said, "By us going they could spend as much time with their mum as possible. They were still going to lose their mum, which was devastating, but they could spend time with her at home."

People don't forget the kindness they have been shown by Marie Curie's nurses, which is supported network of volunteers and fundraisers in York. "It enables us to be able to go and offer some support to the families and the patient," Caroline said.

Caroline often fundraises herself and last year climbed the Yorkshire three peaks in the driving rain with her dad Ken, husband Mark and brother-in-law Ian to raise over £1500 for Marie Curie.

"Just being able to offer that support to somebody when they need it is such a privilege," Caroline said about her job, "I see the difference it makes to families. It means they can get some sleep and even if they don't it's the reassurance when you get there.

"It makes such a difference to people when they need that support.

"I'm very proud to put my uniform on and work for Marie Curie. I shall be doing this job for as long as I can."

"I’ve seen first-hand how invaluable Marie Curie nurses are"

ROSIE Pearson has been fundraising for Marie Curie for as long as she can remember.

York Press:

The 37-year-old is inspired by her mum Anne, a former Marie Curie nurse turned devoted fundraiser, and throughout this month will be seen collecting at York train station and supermarkets across the city. “Marie Curie has been part of my life since childhood, almost by default," she said, "The Great Daffodil Appeal has evolved tremendously since its launch in 1986. In the early days we handed out real daffodils in exchange for a donation. Thirty one years on, the charity is hoping to raise over £8m in 2017 and needs 24,000 volunteers to help make this happen."

Rosie’s mum, Anne covered an area spanning much of the Yorkshire Dales as a nurse, often travelling up to 50 miles to care for terminally ill people in the comfort of their own homes during the night.

Rosie, who lives in York, said: “Mum would tuck me and my brothers into bed before setting out for her night shift and she’d be back in time to serve us breakfast and do the school run before getting some much needed rest. Mum travelled far and wide without the aid of a mobile phone or satnav. If she needed directions she’d call into the local pub – when people recognised the Marie Curie uniform they’d help out instantly."

Rosie, a financial and commercial advisor, became a registered volunteer for Marie Curie in 2005 and she continues to support the charity.

“Some of the people mum nursed were parents of my school friends which is another reason I’m so passionate about the charity. I’ve seen first-hand how invaluable Marie Curie nurses are, providing much needed support and comfort for people with a terminal illness in familiar surroundings, with family and friends. Nurses are welcomed with open arms into people’s homes and they feel privileged to be there. To be a part of someone’s life at such a crucial time is a vocation but, although nursing is in my family, it is not a role which I could take on. I can, however, fundraise to help ensure that Marie Curie is able to continue to provide and develop its services."

Rosie also does her own fundraising – she’s abseiled down Bridgewater Place in Leeds, helped with her mum’s coffee mornings and run market stalls.

“Every time I take part in a collection or fundraising activity the highlight is looking at the total raised and converting that into ‘nursing hours,’" she said, "The generosity of the public is incredible.”

She has urged others to sign up to collect for the charity: "It’s great fun, you meet interesting people and some of the conversations you have, with people that have been supported by Marie Curie, remind you instantly why you volunteer and why fundraising is so important."

- Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal has been raising awareness and funds since 1986.

The Great Daffodil Appeal is Marie Curie’s biggest annual fundraising campaign and encourages everyone to give a donation in return for a daffodil pin during March.

In Yorkshire last year it raised over £250,000 and in 2017 the charity is hoping to raise over £300,000 from a range of different fundraising activities across the area, including over 330 daffodil collections happening at a variety of venues between now and the end of March.

Marie Curie employs more than 2,700 nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals, and with its nine hospices around the UK, is the largest provider of hospice beds outside the NHS.

If you’ve got questions about terminal illness or simply want someone to talk to, call the Marie Curie Support Line on 0800 090 2309 for free confidential support and practical information on all aspects of terminal illness.

For more information on how to get involved in the Great Daffodil Appeal please contact Jennifer Carmichael on 01904 755260 or email jennifer.carmichael@mariecurie.org.uk