Sarah Ward has raised hundreds of pounds for Dove House Hospice in memory of her father Keith Waudby, who died there in February after a battle with throat cancer.
Keith Waudby, from Hessle, who died at age 69 of throat cancer in Dove House Hospice(Image: Sarah Ward – Submitted)
A daughter who lost her “prankster” father to throat cancer is giving back to the hospice that cared for him in his final days.
Sarah Ward’s dad Keith Waudby died in Dove House Hospice on Chamberlain Road on February 22 at the age of 69. Sarah said: “It was the most peaceful passing because of Dove House. We couldn’t have asked for a more dignified place to say our goodbyes and for him to pass.”
Keith, who grew up on Hessle Road, had been diagnosed with throat cancer 10 months earlier. Sadly, the cancer progressed and he found out the diagnosis was terminal. He left behind his two daughters, his wife Michelle, and two grandchildren Annabelle, 20 and Alice, 8.
Sarah said: “He had the best outlook on life. He never moaned about it. He was always laughing and joking. He made the best out of a bad time. He was in hospital a lot over the 10 months and he made friends with everyone.”
Keith even made a new “best friend” in Dove House – a man called Paul who was also terminally ill. The pair passed away within a day of each other. Sarah will remember her dad for his positive outlook and his love of winding people up.
“He was a prankster,” she said. “Always full of banter. I’d go in my house after being at work all day and for a laugh he’d been in and turned everything upside down.
“When he found out he was going to die, he said, ‘I’ve had a good life, I’m lucky’. He was always looking on the bright side, with the glass half full.”
Both Sarah’s grandparents had spent their final days at Dove House, and Keith knew it was where he wanted to be once he received his terminal cancer diagnosis. Sarah said: “It was important to him to pass somewhere to get the care he wanted and needed. It’s the most amazing place. But obviously everything costs.
“My dad was there at the beginning of February and he was there for three weeks. The nurses become your family. It’s also full of volunteers and they do things like afternoon tea for the patients. They had my dad’s granddaughter’s birthday there so he could be involved.”
Sarah’s daughter and husband ran the Manchester 10k raising funds for Dove House in memory of Keith. Then Sarah decided to do something. She arranged an 11-mile walk starting at the University of Hull campus and finishing in Cottingham. She said there was a “brilliant atmosphere” and it was a “really positive event” that celebrated Keith’s life. “It wasn’t sad,” she said. “It was all about raising awareness and funds.” Sarah raised a personal total of £580, with more raised by her team of friends, family and even some nurses from Dove House who came to participate.
It means a lot to Sarah to continue raising money for Dove House in her father’s memory. She hopes some of the money can help fund the “amazing” caravan at Haven’s Patchington holiday park that is offered to families to have some quality time and space together. “They are on a mission to do a lot of fundraising because they need to extend,” Sarah said. “They don’t have enough space for the amount of people that are wanting to go there.”
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