Christine’s story

When Christine was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in June 2021, it came as a complete shock to her, as well as to her husband, Simon, and three children, George, Annabelle, and Beth.

“She had been very fit and active, training for a coast-to-coast cycle ride, and suddenly found herself facing a diagnosis with a very difficult prognosis,” explains Annabelle. “Despite that devastating news, she approached the following years with remarkable determination and positivity.”

Christine had loved working as a primary school teacher, but her diagnosis meant that she decided to retire in July 2021, after finishing the summer term. Although her initial prognosis was three to six months, Christine lived with cancer for three and a half years, undergoing several different chemotherapy treatments, which improved and stabilised her condition for a while.

Living well with cancer

Annabelle says, “There were times when Mum was able to live extremely well – even while living with cancer, she continued to do many of the things she loved, including cycling, playing tennis and painting. She also organised fundraising events to support cancer charities.

“Mum particularly enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren – George’s kids. Her grandson, Asher, was born in August 2021, and she was able to watch him grow up to the age of three, after not thinking she would know him at all. She also managed to meet her second grandson, Jesse, who was born in September 2024.”

Early contact with Rennie Grove Peace

Early in her diagnosis in 2021, Christine had attended a session at Rennie Grove Peace to help her come to terms with her cancer diagnosis.

Then in October 2024, after the chemotherapy stopped being effective, Christine and her family met with the Rennie Grove Peace team to understand what palliative care might look like.

Considering palliative care

Annabelle told us about the support her mum received at that time:

“As a family living in Watford, Rennie Grove Peace had always been a familiar presence – we had passed the Peace Hospice building countless times over the years, and one of our neighbours has volunteered there for a long time. After her diagnosis, Mum would sometimes say she knew that one day she might rely on the hospice’s support, although at the time it felt like something far in the future.

“In October 2024, we had a meeting with the Rennie Grove Peace team to talk through what palliative care might look like if and when the time came. Sadly, Mum’s health declined very quickly and within two weeks we found ourselves needing their support.”

Rethinking hospice care

“Before this experience, my understanding of hospice care was fairly limited. Like many people, I associated hospices mostly with the final days of life. What we experienced was something much broader and more compassionate. The care wasn’t just about medical support, it was about dignity, comfort and helping us all through an incredibly emotional time. Seeing the difference that hospice care made gave us a huge appreciation for the work they do and for the dedication of the people who provide it.”

Christine’s artistic legacy

During her treatment, Christine had joined an art class, becoming a keen painter and even taking paints to the hospital to occupy her whilst having chemotherapy. Before she died, Christine expressed a wish to donate a painting to Rennie Grove Peace, and it now hangs in the family room in the Rennie Grove Peace Inpatient Unit in Watford. Annabelle told us why this was so important to her mum:

“Art became very important to Mum during her cancer journey.”

As treatments continued and she wasn’t always able to be as physically active as she had been before, painting became something she truly loved. She found it incredibly therapeutic, a creative outlet and something positive to focus on during what was often a challenging time. She spent many hours painting and took great pride in the pieces she created.

“She often painted commissions for friends, and when people donated to her fundraising page to support her private treatment, she sent them prints as a way of saying thank you. We even displayed many of her paintings at her funeral and had prints made for people to take home. Giving something back to the people supporting her was very important to her.

“Donating one of her paintings to Rennie Grove Peace had personal significance. During one of the visits, Mum asked a nurse if she could donate a painting to the hospice to say thank you for all the support she had received, and this is our way of honouring that promise. For our family, seeing her artwork brings enormous comfort. It’s reassuring to know that a part of her lives on through the art she created and continues to inspire and bring joy to others.”