Paula Perera has been a volunteer for Martlets for more than ten years. Her son Gordon was cared for on our inpatient unit. She tells us about the care he received and why she has chosen to leave a gift in her Will to Martlets.
I decided to make my Will during Martlets’ Will Writing Month because it wasn’t expensive. I knew that every penny of the fee that I paid would go to Martlets. It was really simple to do. I knew which solicitor I wanted to use, and I just got in touch with them to arrange everything.
Being able to leave something in my Will to the hospice makes me feel very proud. I care about my community and would like my gift to be used to make someone’s life easier, just as they helped my son and us as a family. I hope that it can support someone who needs the wonderful Martlets team, so that it makes a real difference to their life.
From the doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants at Martlets to the housekeeping staff and canteen workers, we felt warmly enfolded in their arms.
Sadly, my son was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2018 and he died in 2020. Everyone involved in his care at Martlets was such a comfort. They organised occupational physiotherapy for Gordon at home to help with his mobility; they got a special adjustable bed, chairs, frames, all the equipment he needed.
The spiritual care was also such a support. Those conversations with the chaplain helped Gordon understand that he still had the freedom to make choices about his care and what would happen. There were choices that he could make and that we could be involved in as a family and that was so important.
There was peace and there was serenity all around from the minute Gordon went in until the time he died.
During his last week, the discharge nurse at Martlets arranged for someone who understood MND to stay with Gordon at home overnight. He told me though, that he wanted to go back into the hospice to be cared for at the end. That’s how comfortable he felt about being there. Unfortunately, I wasn’t present when Gordon died, but when I went in the nurses let me sit with him and hold him for as long as I needed to. I held him like a baby; he was still my baby.
The staff were so sensitive and caring. They always answered my questions honestly and listened at length even when they were busy. And they didn’t just care for my son, they cared for me, my daughter, and his wife and children too. His young daughter had bereavement counselling from Martlets which was a great support.
Rather than have bereavement counselling, I needed to feel grounded by getting involved in the Martlets community; continuing as a volunteer has been such a comfort.
It is a joy to be volunteering again and I’ve been helping out on the inpatient unit. They’ve also trained me to use the computer in the retail warehouse. So, I’ve been doing some data inputting for them, which I’m enjoying because I’m with people again. It’s like being part of a big Martlets family. I feel that, by being a volunteer, I can make a difference to someone else’s life. Often, it’s just a smile or a kind word but that’s what it’s all about.
There is a serenity here at Martlets that gives people an inner strength. You’re not just a patient, you’re a person.
As a community, we’re lucky to have Martlets; it’s there for us – the people of Brighton & Hove and the surrounding areas. The hospice provides care that you just wouldn’t find anywhere else. I see the amazing things that everyone does here to make peoples’ lives more comfortable. They care with such dignity and respect, and the staff are always there to listen even when they’re busy. They look after the families as well as the patients and that’s such very important work that must continue. That’s why I’ve left a gift to Martlets in my Will.
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Could you leave a gift to Martlets?
A gift in your Will will help us to continue caring for local people with life-limiting conditions for years to come, and that’s a wonderful gift to give. A gift to Martlets – no matter the size – goes a long way.
It costs almost £12 million every year to run the hospice, with our NHS grant only funding around 22% of these costs. Support and donations from individuals are our most important source of income. Almost a fifth of our funding comes from gifts in Wills and right now they’re needed more than ever, as demand for our services grows.
Find out mroe: Give in your Will – Martlets
Updated: 14/04/26