Maidenhead son, 27, shares moving tribute to hospice that 'changed our lives' ahead of charity walk

A Maidenhead man has shared the story of his father’s care at Thames Hospice as the charity gears up for one of its most important fundraising events.

Ollie Ross, 27, said there were ‘no words to describe how thankful we are as a family’ for the support his dad David received at the hospice during his last days.

A legion of fundraisers like Ollie will set out on a mission to remember loved ones lost and to raise funds for Thames Hospice on its annual Sunflower Walk later this year.

Ollie said: “I’ve completed the London Marathon and raised money, but there is no amount of money in the world that could ever repay what Thames Hospice gave me and my family.”

Thames Hospice cared for Ollie’s dad in 2023, following his lung cancer diagnosis a year before.

David, an expert chef and keen Manchester United fan, had survived a similar diagnosis in 2017.

The Rosses and hospital doctors hoped chemotherapy and radiotherapy would help him.

But David’s condition began to deteriorate.

The tumour around his lungs grew too complex to operate on and, around the turn of the year, he had several strokes.

Ollie said: “My sister and I celebrated our 25th birthdays in the stroke unit with my dad, he came home for a week, but it was a real struggle, it impacted us massively.”

David remained in an NHS stroke unit for three months in early 2023, and it was during that time that doctors told him the cancer was terminal. He was offered a bed at Thames Hospice shortly after.

Ollie said he had ‘never heard’ of the hospice before, but the time he, his father and family spent there ‘changed our lives massively’.

David died at Thames Hospice in the early hours of May 5, 2023.

He spent that last time in the company of his family: peaceful, calm - and watching his beloved Manchester United matches with Ollie.

He was there, in the inpatient unit overlooking Bray Lake, for eight weeks and one day.

‘We always say the one day, as it’s the most important,” Ollie said.

Inspired to give back to the hospice and to remember his dad, Ollie took on the London Marathon in April this year.

“My dad was everything to us and although he is no longer with us – he is still with us,” Ollie said, adding:

“I know he would be so proud of me, he would always say he was proud whatever I did.”

The Sunflower Walk, on September 14, invites people to take on treks of 2.8km, 10km, and a half marathon in length.

Walkers of all ages, many of whom have experienced the support offered at Thames Hospice, are united on their journey to help raise money for it.

The charity, which provides end of life care to thousands of people each year, relies on an enormous more than £12million fundraising effort each year to keep delivering its care.

A sunflower is the symbol of UK hospice care.

Ollie said: “When someone says ‘hospice’, you just think ‘a place where people go to die’ and there is no personal touch, just a place to make the person comfortable.

“But it’s not like that at all. There is obviously end of life, but now experiencing Thames Hospice, there is so much to it. It’s counselling, respite, catching up, reconnecting.

“You’re not just another patient, you are a person and a family.”

To find out more about Thames Hospice and to book a place on the Sunflower Walk, visit the charity's website.

Discounted places are available until July 16.