Serena was born in Denaby Main, near Doncaster, in 1925, the youngest of six children. She left school at 14 years old when her school closed due to the war. She found clerical work at Amalgamated Denaby Collieries, married in 1950 and settled in Sheffield, where she gave birth to a daughter in 1960. Problems during pregnancy and labour prevented her from having further children.
Serena's present illness began in 2000 with vomiting and a swollen leg. She was admitted to hospital for treatment and tests, and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was told that her condition is terminal and referred by a Macmillan nurse to St Luke’s Hospice.
How did you get to know about St Luke’s?
"Oh, now, that was interesting, because whilst I was in, before we came out of Northern General, there was a Macmillan nurse, it was a nice young man, and he said, ‘Look, I’ll give you an address, you get in touch with St Luke’s and they’ll come and see you’. And they did. I’ve forgotten her name, but she came to see me and said, ‘What do you want to do?’ I said I don’t want to die at home and worry my husband, I’d rather die in St Luke’s."
So you weren’t afraid of what St Luke’s meant?
"No, I wasn’t. I thought St Luke’s, I thought I would be lucky to go. I mean there’s my daughter with Crohn’s and they can’t do anything for her: I’ve got this and I can go there and they’ll look after me. I feel as though I’m lucky really, I’m lucky to have St Luke’s. And to go to Wheata every Wednesday and mix there and laugh with people who you know have got cancer and they know they couldn’t be here tomorrow. Here today, gone tomorrow, or anything, it’s quite a thing to do.
"And you know, you begin to realise that there are people in this world that are a lot worse off than you. I feel that, when I look at some that I’ve seen in there, I’m privileged. You know I’ve seen them with distorted faces and can’t walk, you know, so really I’m not… And besides if you’re a bit religious you don’t feel that you’re going to lose out."
You’re not afraid?
"No, no, no. Course you’re not afraid."
And what about respite care?
"Oh that’s very good, they’re excellent. They spoil you to death, they spoil you to death. They give you, oh tea, endless cups of tea, and mixed fruit in the afternoon, and very good meals. They’re really marvellous. And if you don’t sleep and you want to read you’ve got a little lamp and you can read … they’re wonderful people."
Do you think that respite helps Dave and Sarah?
"It does, oh it does. It means Sarah can go away and think ‘My Mum’s all right’ and Dave’s, you know, while I’m not here he gets bits and pieces done that would perhaps be a bit irritating to me, painting and anything like that. And he, he likes me to go in, he likes me to get, and he thinks I get a rest there as well. He says, ‘We get a rest and you get a rest’ but... Yes, oh I’ve nothing but goodness to say about St Luke’s, and Wheata, they’re wonderful people."
