It is said that the smallest movement of a butterfly’s wings has the power to change the weather on the other side of the world.
At The Myton Hospices we are certain that, by the same token, the little things matter – this belief is at the heart of everything we do. Thank you for being a part of Myton’s very own Butterfly Effect.
My name is Tom and like you, I am a supporter of The Myton Hospices. My wife Katie was cared for at Warwick Myton Hospice, where she died on 17th June 2023, aged just 37 years old...
This summer, The Myton Hospices Butterfly Effect will be celebrating the lives of our loved ones in a unique and special way with a brand-new heartfelt installation taking flight at Coughton Court, National Trust property.
Katie’s whole attitude towards the end of her life was to give back as much as possible. And that’s what I’m doing by supporting The Butterfly Effect.
Katie first discovered a lump in early 2022 and was given her cervical cancer diagnosis in February 2022. With this quick diagnosis, we had to wait until May for her treatment to begin. Katie underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy and we were told in September that her cervix looked clear but a spot had appeared on her lung.
This was put down to an infection but in January 2023, scans revealed the spot was cancerous and it had spread rapidly. We were told the cancer was terminal and to start to prepare for the future. We didn’t know the timeframe at this point but knew a hospice would be the best place for Katie when the time did come.
We arrived at Warwick Myton Hospice in April 2023. It’s very difficult to put into words but our experience was unbelievable. The consistency of the care and how well Katie and our family were treated was impressive.
Of course the excellent care we received is the main factor of hospice care, but the little things meant so much more to us. It felt like nothing was too hard or inconvenient. We had takeaway nights, parties and friends and family were surrounding us constantly. We never felt like we had to ask for anything, it was almost encouraged for us to do these things as nothing was too difficult.
It was an absolutely beautiful place to be. With every room having access to the gorgeous garden, being able to roll Katie’s bed out there for some serenity had such an impact. We also had a supportive wheelchair for Katie to use and were encouraged to do anything we wanted.
We took this literally and with Myton’s help, we were able to go to a local pub a couple of times as a big family. We also went for a walk at a nearby park and we even wheeled her down to watch our 3-year-old at the time, son Cass, play football for the last time. Yes the medical side was exceptional, but it’s these really little things that I will remember forever.
Our other son, Percy turns six this year and he has a visit from a counsellor at his school every three weeks. He was asked to fill a jar with different coloured sand for all the special times and memories he has. He had a ‘mummy’ layer, a ‘camping’ layer and a ‘mummy hospice’ layer.
I can’t express how much it means that our boys have such positive memories of that time. We always made a conscious effort to make our time there positive, by playing football in the garden or flying mummy around on her special wheelchair, we made it fun. I am so grateful that we were allowed to do that and nothing was an issue. It removed one more potential barrier for us to work through after Katie died.
In these situations, and the one we found ourselves in, nothing you can do can ever make it better and the best outcome is to never need Myton. But Myton truly is the best place to be for everyone and I can’t imagine anywhere else doing a better job.
The incredible doctors, nurses, volunteers and everyone involved took some of the pressure and angst out of the situation.
For them, this is their day-to-day life – we only play a small part in their jobs. But to us, they underestimate the importance and significance they have on everyone who walks through the doors. The impact they had on me, my sons and the rest of our family is a legacy I’ll carry with me forever.
We’re supporting The Butterfly Effect in memory of our beloved wife and mummy.
The Butterfly Effect is taking place at Coughton Court from Friday 26th July until Sunday 11th August 2024. The installation will see more than 1,000 locally crafted, red, metal Myton butterflies. Each butterfly will represent a loved one who is sadly no longer with us and Myton invites you to make a dedication and donation in return for your very own butterfly, so that you can take home a small part of this poignant display.
Myton is hoping to raise £75,000 from this campaign to fund the recruitment, training and salary of a registered nurse for 18 months. I hope you will join me and become part of The Butterfly Effect so we can make sure Myton will be there for more people like us, who need their support, now and in the future.
Tom Cronin
Husband, Father and proud supporter of The Myton Hospices Butterfly Effect
