The event, which was held to celebrate Louis Baxter’s life and to thank the Hambleton and Richmondshire’s specialist palliative care team, raised more than £11,568 for the hospital team’s charity fund.
The 80-year-old was being looked after by the Friarage Hospital-based specialist palliative care team, as part of his end-of-life care treatment plan.
Last year, Louis passed away within the comfort of his own home and surrounded by his family.
Moved by the compassionate care Louis received during the last stages of his life, his wife Sandy and daughter Clare decided to give something back.
They decided to hold a fundraising event to express their thanks and gratitude to the staff who looked after him whilst celebrating Louis’s incredible life.
After months of planning, the duo got together with friends and family and organised a fun-filled ‘casino night’ in February.
Staff from the specialist palliative care team also took part in the evening as they played their luck on the swanky casino tables – with fake casino chips and no real-life gambling.
The funds raised by people buying casino chips were donated to Our Hospitals Charity, the official charity arm of South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and will help the team provide vital equipment for patients locally, which is not funded by the NHS.
This includes memory boxes, bereavement books and worry monsters for children, and wellbeing initiatives for patients and life story work.
Palliative care clinical nurse specialist Hayley Hadfield, who looked after Louis throughout his care, said:
As a team, we were extremely privileged to be involved in Louis's care, from the initial referral into the early palliative intervention team and palliative dietitian, to his care then being transferred to the specialist palliative care team for more complex symptom management and end-of-life care.
“I was fortunate enough to get to know Louis and his wonderful family during his illness, and the resilience, love and ability to support one another despite the situation left a lasting impression.
“As a team, we can’t even begin to express how grateful we are to the Baxter family for hosting such a wonderful event in memory of Louis and raising such an incredible amount of money for our charity, which will help so many families locally.”
The night also included an auction, bottle raffle and a lively disco.
Louis’s wife, Sandy Baxter said: “Louis had strength and determination, which were recognised by Hayley.
“They established a bond, which together with her skill and empathy, carried us all through to the end. My family felt that we owed her and her team a debt of gratitude, and when we learned about the charity fund, it provided us with a way of fulfilling this.
“The amazing fundraising casino night was my daughter Clare’s idea and she must take full credit for its success.”
Not only did the family raise thousands of pounds for the hospital team, but they also gifted them a handmade ‘thank you’ pin board in memory of Louis.
The auction was supported by local businesses and raised more than £1,500.
Community fundraiser for Our Hospitals Charity, Judith Masterman said:
We cannot thank Sandy and her amazing family enough for supporting our palliative care team, and look forward to the next event on 8 June.”
