Durham novelist in charity firewalk for St Cuthbert's Hospice
Oct 28 2009 by Hannah Davies, The Journal
BOOKER Prize winning novelist Pat Barker will be walking on fire tonight in honour of her late husband.
Mrs Barker will be joined by her daughter Anna Ralph, who is also a successful author, in a firewalk in Durham marketplace to raise funds for the city’s St Cuthbert’s Hospice.
Her late husband Prof David Barker – former emeritus professor of zoology at Durham University – died of heart failure in January, aged 86, and would have gone to the hospice had Pat, 66, and Anna, 35, not decided to care for him at home.
Yesterday Anna said: “We both really admire the work St Cuthbert’s do for people in the region.
“My father died after suffering a long illness and at one point it was an option for him to spend his final days there.”
In the event the two women cared for Prof Barker at home with the help of local carers. But that experience gave them a good understanding of the level of care provided by the hospice. Anna added: “Caring for a relative with an illness is incredibly hard work. For the last 10 months of his life my father was bed-ridden, and anyone who does that needs as much support as they can get.”
Pat said: “Because of our experience we really appreciate the work they do at St Cuthbert’s Hospice. We chose the firewalk as it is about having belief in yourself that you can do something which seems impossible. That’s what caring for somebody can be like – very, very difficult.”
St Cuthbert’s Hospice opened in 1988 and provides specialist medical and nursing care for people with life-limiting conditions from across Durham, Chester-le-Street and Derwentside.
The Hospice is based close to the centre of Durham and provides 24-hour care, a day hospice offering advice, support and activities, treatments including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and bereavement care and support to relatives.
Services at St Cuthbert’s are provided free of charge. The hospice receives some funding from the NHS, but needs to raise a further £1m each year through fundraising events and voluntary donations.
Anna said: “The firewalk is a good way to honour my dad. I think he would have been very proud to see both of us doing this.”
Anyone wanting to make a donation to St Cuthbert’s Hospice should call (0191) 386-1170.
