Caring staff at Wigan and Leigh Hospice make real difference for grandmother battling cancer

Bonnie and Keith Leather were set up on a date in 1975 and have now been married for 44 years.

The couple have two children and three grandchildren, and had big plans to travel during their retirement after celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary with a dream trip to Australia.

But unfortunately Bonnie, now 70, found out she had a secondary cancer which had spread through her bones.

She is currently having chemotherapy and is under the care of the hospice nurse specialist (HNS) team from Wigan and Leigh Hospice – a team of nurses specially trained in palliative and end-of-life care which supports people in their homes.

Bonnie, who lives in Tyldesley, said: “Keith has been absolutely wonderful since my diagnosis, he has really stepped up. He’s even doing all the cooking after never cooking any meals before.”

Bonnie was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995 and had a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, followed by regular hospital checks for the next 15 years.

She worked as an administrator for a financial advisor until her retirement in 2021.

In 2020 she began suffering with lower back pain and found the cancer had returned. The cancerous area was removed in January 2021 and she was given the all clear.

But the back pain continued and a few months later Bonnie was offered an MRI for what was thought to be a problem with a disc.

“The scan showed up all the cancer and it was such a shock,” she said. “They arranged a bone biopsy for me, which proved conclusively it was a secondary breast cancer from the first cancer I’d had in 1995.”

Bonnie was visited by a nurse from the HNS team in summer 2021.

She said: “I was in pain, I was new to the tablets and I didn’t know what to do, so she came and explained what they did and what was best for me.

“The changes made all the difference.”

Shortly after, Katie Hart from the HNS team became Bonnie’s regular contact. She phones Bonnie or visits her every four to six weeks to check on her symptoms and advise on medication, as well as provide vital psychological support.

Bonnie said: “The pain relief I’m on is helping. Katie has tweaked it and I’m feeling much better – the pain has plateaued.

“When she first started coming to see me I was very tearful, very down, but after a good long chat with Katie I realised there’s nothing wrong with having some help. It’s not just medical but psychological support I need; I get upset and this is when I need Katie – it’s easy to talk to her. Our conversations are very important for me.

“There is a difference in me now – I’m a lot more positive, I’m more determined that it’s not going to get me down. The diagnosis was such a shock at first, but I feel less overwhelmed now and I’m in a much better place.”