Catherine Mears is sharing her story to help promote our Lottery Super Draw. In March, the top prize money is doubled to £2,000.
In 2004, Dorothy started to feel ill and tired in all the time. She was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer which affects the body’s immune system.
Dad was sleeping on a camp bed to take care of her
“Everything happened quite quickly. Mum had chemotherapy and was in hospital for a spell, but she definitely preferred to be at home. She was living downstairs, and my Dad was sleeping on a camp bed in the dining room to take care of her.
“Elaine and I were both working full time so we would go round to help but dad did everything really. He was caring for mum, cooking, washing.
We knew dad needed help
“He did really well but dad was in his late seventies at that time, so we knew he needed help.”
We arranged for our Hospice at Home nurses to come and help care for Dorothy at night.
Having the Treetops nurses there meant Dad could get a decent night’s sleep and wasn’t worrying. He could then cope a bit better and face the next day.
“Mum died sooner than we expected in May 2005 aged 77. We were all there with her at home.
If the Treetops nurses hadn’t helped, Dad would have struggled, and it would have got to a crisis point. The nurses were invaluable to us, especially my dad.
Treetops Hospice is such a good cause
“I like to donate to local charities and Treetops Hospice is such a good cause. I think if you've got a chance of winning something as well, it makes it just a little bit more special.
“I won the Lottery jackpot last year and it was a lovely surprise. I’d recommend playing to anyone!”
“Entering our annual Super Draw is a fantastic way to support the hospice. You can purchase your entries through the post or online and you might win a cash prize. All proceeds from every ticket sold makes a real difference to local people and families living across Derby, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.”
Rebecca Lee-Jones, Treetops Lottery Manager
Super Draw tickets must be in by Wednesday 29 March, with the draw taking place on Friday 31 March. The Super Draw top prize is £2,000, second prize is £500, third prize £300, fourth prize £100, and there are 15 smaller prizes of £30.