In memory of her cousin Jenny, Megan has created her own website, JennyThePenguin, where she sells colouring books to raise funds for The Myton Hospices.
In 2022, Jenny was admitted to Warwick Myton Hospice after being diagnosed with cervical cancer that had spread to her womb and caused kidney failure.
While at Myton, Jenny and her family began ticking off items from her bucket list, one of which was feeding penguins. Sadly, Jenny became too unwell to make the visit herself. With the help of the Myton team, her family arranged for the penguins to come to her instead.
Megan said:
Jenny had always been crazy about penguins, she loved them so much. The top item on her bucket list was to go and feed them, but because she was too poorly, we arranged for them to visit her instead. Thanks to the team at Myton for facilitating it, Jenny was able to meet penguins before she died. We had a penguin-themed afternoon tea, and my little boy, who was only a few months old at the time, was dressed as a penguin. It was an amazing day for us all and so special to see Jenny so happy.
During Jenny’s time at Myton, Megan and her wife Kim also decided to take part in a ‘Brave the Shave’ fundraiser. Megan continued:
Jenny had lost her hair due to treatment, so Kim and I shaved our heads in solidarity. We did this at Myton, with Jenny being the one to shave them. She had always felt self-conscious about her hair and wore hats to cover it, but once the three of us were bald together, she became more confident and stopped worrying about it. It was a really special thing to do.
Together, Megan and Kim raised an incredible £1,020.
Jenny died after four and a half months at Warwick Myton Hospice, aged just 35.
Wanting to give something back, Megan used her creativity to honour Jenny’s memory by creating colouring books to raise funds for Myton.
She said:
I’m a tattoo artist, so I love drawing. I knew I wanted to do something to give back to Myton, so I combined the two. I created a penguin character called Jenny who features in all the designs. The first book included drawings of things Jenny loved or wanted to do. The books that followed are designs I know she would love.
It helps me too, continuing Jenny’s legacy and making sure she’s always remembered. People send me videos of themselves colouring the books, and it brings me so much joy because it’s all about Jenny – her memory, her legacy, her purpose. Colouring also helps others, as it’s great for mindfulness and mental wellbeing.
So far, Megan has raised an incredible £2,461.99 through her website and colouring books, bringing her total fundraising for Myton to £3,481.99.
Kim is also continuing to support Myton in Jenny’s memory by signing up for our upcoming Skydive, bravely taking the leap to raise even more funds to help ensure other families receive the same compassionate care that meant so much to theirs.
Support Kim's Skydive HERE!
Megan added:
It means so much that we’ve raised this money for Myton. It will never feel like enough to give back for what we received when Jenny was cared for, but if we can help in any way, we will.
Everyone at Myton was amazing. They allowed us to stay with Jenny for as long as we wanted. They set up a bed in her room, and we also used the relatives’ accommodation so we could take turns staying overnight. Being so close to her in those final days meant everything, we could spend as much time together as possible.
Jenny was unsure about going to Myton at first, but once she arrived, she felt comfortable and happy. She knew she was in the best place. We all have such positive memories from that time and I don’t think we would have those if Jenny had been anywhere else.
Did you know…? It costs over £15 million each year to continue providing our services free of charge to patients and their loved ones. We are a charity, and we only receive 17% of our funding from the NHS, meaning we have to raise over £12 million every year – that’s over £1 million each month.
Support from people like Megan and her family ensures Myton can continue to be there for more people like Jenny, providing the care they need and deserve.
Find out more about JennyThePenguin HERE!
