More sad news

It seems like the only time I post here these days it's to share bad news.

My mum passed away on the morning of 2nd November at around 2.45am. She had been admitted to the hospital in Welwyn Garden City at about 1am after the workers at her care home felt her to be cold and clammy and called an ambulance.

My wife and I arrived shortly before she died, literally a matter of seconds. At the end, she wasn't suffering. She was calm from the time she was admitted. I believe that something inside her was holding on to give us the chance to say goodbye, or let her know that we were there with her. Given her long but inevitable deterioration over the past six years, I'm at a loss to understand what that something was but, nevertheless, she did not leave until I was by her side and that is some comfort to me. The chaplain was called to say some prayers and give her a blessing.

Although she was into the later stages of Alzheimer's, when we last visited her a couple of weekends ago she was relatively bright (and even said "Hello", not a regular occurrence). It was a Sunday and the Salvation Army held a service during which we sang hymns beside her and she seemed to enjoy it. She munched happily on the chocolate Minstrels we shared.

Unsurprisingly, her death has made me more determined than ever to complete the charity Doctor Who book. Please help if you can.

If you are unable to help with the book, then please find it in your heart to donate some money, however much you can afford, to the Alzheimer's Research Trust. You can do so online here: http://www.alzheimers-research.org.uk/howtohelp/donate/