Daughter to give back to Ashgate Hospice after support dad received at end of life offered ‘light during a dark time'

Kirstie Wilson, from Bolsover, joined the North Derbyshire hospice in the summer to give something back following the death of her dad, Steven Goodall, in August 2020. She wanted to put her experience in charity finance to good use after Steven was cared for at home before he died, just days after he celebrated his 60th birthday.

Kirstie says Ashgate’s care of the hospice’s specialist community nurses was ‘invaluable’ during his final weeks.

The 30-year-old Senior Audit and Accounts Manager at Shorts Accountants is now undertaking her three-month associateship before becoming the charity’s eighth board member.

Kirstie said: “Ashgate Hospice’s care is something you hope you never need, but you're so grateful when it's there for you in those times of need. The hospice allowed Dad to stay home and provided the equipment he needed to be comfortable. He had regular visits from the community team and really enjoyed them coming round – they offered a little light during a dark time.

“The consultants and nurses answered the difficult questions, made sure he had what he needed and kept conversation friendly and chatty rather than using lots of medical jargon. My mum also had calls and visits from the hospice’s Supportive Care team after my dad's death and that meant the world to us.”

Steven, who lived in Bolsover his whole life, was one of 11 children and was married to Julie. The couple had four children, Kirstie, Jason, Richard and Jordan, as well as six – now seven – grandchildren.

As a keen motorcyclist, Steven ran his own landscaping business, which has been taken over by his sons, and “family was all that mattered to him. He was given the all-clear just under a year before his death after being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in May 2019, but a year later it had returned and spread andSteven was told he had months to live.

Kirstie added: “It was awful watching Dad become a shell of his previous self. He was a family man and would be there in a heartbeat if anyone called on him for help; we all loved him very much.”