April 11, 2019 10.30 am This story is over 59 months old

“I would tell him I love him”: Man’s pledge to thank charity for dad’s end of life care

Jamie has pledged to raise the money St Barnabas spent supporting his family
Nigel, Grandson Jai and Son Jamie.

A Lincolnshire man has shared an emotional message to his father, and pledged to raise enough money to repay the charity that helped him in his final days.

Nigel Aspland died at 63-years-old on November 27, 2016 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer six months earlier.

St Barnabas staff cared for Nigel at home for many of those weeks before he spent his last 29 days at a Grantham Hospice.

“If I could have one more day with my dad,” Jamie Aspland, a branch manager at Pygott & Crone in Sleaford, said. “I would want to thank him for the legacy he set up for our family.

“It would be great if he could see his grandson Jail playing football. I would also want to hold him once more and tell him just how much I love him.

Jamie running the Lincoln 10K.

“There are always times when I miss his presence more as it’s hard knowing I can’t put decisions past him anymore and get his advice.”

Jamie has pledged to raise enough money for St Barnabas to cover every penny’s worth of care and support that was given to his family.

So far the charity says Jamie has been part of a phenomenal fundraising attempt raising over £7,000.

Staff from Pygott & Crone have rallied around the charity.

He continued: “Dad tried to go to the toilet on his own one night as he didn’t want to wake me after a busy day at work. Unfortunately he fell and it was a wake-up call that we just couldn’t cope on our own without extra support.

“I can hand-on-heart say that without St Barnabas I’m not sure how I would have got through the last months of Dad’s life. When end-of-life came, the staff knew all the right things to do to keep us calm and help us think about the next steps.”