Show your love for hospice care this winter

The films are part of the Show Your Love appeal launched this week by Southern Hospice Group – a charity which includes Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice near Arundel, Martlets in Hove, and St Barnabas House in Worthing. Together, the hospices support families across Sussex and South East Hampshire with specialist palliative and end-of-life care. 

The two families’ stories are very different, but both explore how specialist hospice care was vital in helping them make the most of the precious time they had left together. The films underline the importance of cherished family moments: sharing a meal, taking a swim, or simply holding a loved one's hand. 

Yet, nationally, hospice care faces a funding crisis and services are being reduced at a time of growing demand. 

Marie from Burgess Hill shares the story of her two adult brothers, Dan and Carl, who died just three months apart in early 2025 from the same rare leukaemia. The brothers had very different experiences of the illness – Carl had a stem cell match, Dan did not.   

But when treatment options ended for them both, they had the same wish: to die at home, surrounded by their loved ones. Hospice care made that possible.  

Marie says: “The hospice gave us so much more than end-of-life care. They helped my brothers live on their terms for as long as possible. And they gave our family precious time to be together when it mattered most.”  

In addition, with the hospice’s support, Dan was able to fulfil a wishlist of things he wanted to do while he still could: see AC/DC, visit Amsterdam, watch his beloved Manchester United play, and cook a special Christmas meal for his family. During this time, his brother Carl, sister Marie and mum Lyn were by his side, the family living life to the full and making memories.  

"The grief of losing both of my brothers so close together is something I still struggle to put into words. But alongside that grief, there is real gratitude. The Hospice at Home staff were extraordinary. Their care brought calm to a situation that could so easily have become chaotic and frightening. They were there for all of us." 

Six-year-old Kai was supported by Chestnut Tree House for several years until he died just before Christmas in 2025. Kai was born with a life-limiting brain condition, and his family had been told he wouldn’t do the usual things a child would do. But thanks to support from the hospice, Kai defied expectations.   

Mum Leanne from Bexhill explains: “Because of the hospice’s care, Kai was able to join in activities that many families take in their stride – from swimming in the hydrotherapy pool to line-dancing at Chestnut’s day-long summer festival, Chestival. He even went dry-slope skiing! We'll never forget the smile on his face.”  

It was just before Christmas 2025 that Kai came to Chestnut for specialist end-of-life care following a long spell in hospital. In those final weeks, Kai had a special fireworks display, attended a Halloween party, enjoyed an early Christmas and had precious time with his family.  

“Chestnut Tree House was like coming home. A weight lifted from our shoulders – we could just breathe, hold Kai’s hand, and be a family again,” mum Sara says.   

The family, including little sister Aya, were able to use a special ‘cuddle bed’ to be close to Kai. “We could hold our baby boy properly for the first time in ages – comfort him and stroke his hair, no machines or wires in the way.     

“We needed that moment of just being mums embracing our son…Cuddled up to Kai, we slept well for the first time in years.”  

But while hospice care can transform the most difficult of situations, funding for these life-changing services is limited and heavily reliant on local communities’ generosity. For Southern Hospice Group, just 14% of its costs are covered by NHS grants.  

CEO Stuart Palma said: “Specialist palliative and end-of-life care can make it possible to live life to the full in the time available, as the families in our films show. Hospice care helps families focus on being together and showing their love in ways that matter most to them.  

"But funding for hospice care has not kept pace with rising costs, and services across the country are at risk, so that’s why we need to raise awareness of the difference it can make for families.”  

Hospice UK, the body representing hospices nationwide, reports that 60% of hospices in England have made, or are considering, cuts to frontline services at a time when demand is growing.  

Palma added: “We know the value our care can bring, but we also know that one in three people don’t get the end-of-life care and support they need. We’re so grateful to both families for sharing their loved ones’ stories and inspiring us all to keep pressing for sustainable funding for hospice care.”  

Communities across Sussex can ‘show their love’ for hospice care by donating to the appeal, fundraising, or getting involved in events taking place throughout the season. At both adult hospices, there will be special ‘Light Up a Life’ events for bereaved families to come together and remember loved ones. In addition, special in-memory displays at both hospices will feature loved ones' names; dedications can be submitted up to Friday 4 December.  

The Show Your Love appeal runs throughout November to January. Visit the hospice websites to find out more. 

Watch the films at: https://www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/winter-2026/ https://www.stbarnabas-hospice.org.uk/winter-2026/dan-and-carls-story/