Dawn’s Story
Dawn was born in Bridlington East Yorkshire in 1963 making her 50 yrs old sadly when she died (19th July 2014), following a diagnosis three years previously and 3 major operations. (All born with amazing positive outlook, bravery and strength).
Dawn left school and trained as a nurse in Hull and had a strong bond with a few other colleagues who I am still in touch with. She left nursing and went into Social Care and worked for Stonham Albion House in Driffield where the focus was Domiciliary Home Care, Learning disability/autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Sensory Impairment, Younger Adults.
When funding changed, this unit received a cut in funding. Dawn quickly used her skills and obtained a role as a Care Coordinator for East Riding Council and enjoyed this role tremendously. One of the favourite aspects of her work was the planning for patient’s discharge or arranging care packages for those in need – whether in own home or within residential care.
“One of the reasons that I wanted to set up the fund, is to enable more funding/research to happen, as I desperately want there to be a cure for Brain Tumours”
Dawn and I married in 2007 (July) which was a second marriage for both of us, but we had actually been friends for over 30 years. When we married it meant the joining of four grown up children, two from each side. I will be forever grateful that she was so good with my two as I think Dawn was an exceptional Mum/StepMum.
It is a measure of our relationship that Dawn’s daughter (my step daughter) still chooses to live with me, in the home that we all shared prior to losing Dawn.
One of the reasons that I wanted to set up the fund, is to enable more funding/research to happen, as I desperately want there to be a cure for Brain Tumours.
Also one of the outcomes of the fundraising I am now doing in Dawn’s name, ( I give talks and arrange charity nights), is to make sure that more people are aware of Brain Tumours. As I know, that the public at large, have no idea of the facts about it being the biggest single killer of any cancer.
My main hope, is that no one has to go through what Dawn went through or the Hell I live with everyday.