Last week, The Shakespeare Hospice CEO, Tracey Sheridan, joined service user Steve Cooper and fellow campaigners at 10 Downing Street to deliver a petition calling for fairer hospice funding across the UK.
Backed by more than 103,000 people nationwide, including almost 12,000 supporters across the Midlands, the petition urges the Government to make sustainable hospice funding a national priority.
Steve agreed to share his experience of hospice care to help demonstrate the vital role hospices like ours play in supporting patients and families.
In May 2025, Steve was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer and given just six months to live.
'My immediate thought was how to tell my son, who had also lost his mum to cancer 3 years earlier.
I was able to have chemo, and stayed on chemo until June 2026, where it had controlled my cancer. I have always loved to travel, and my consultant said that I should continue to travel and they will provide the treatment every 2 or 3 weeks.
Then in July 2026, I had a complication and was rushed to the hospital with an infection. At first, the hospital thought it was sepsis, and following a scan, I was told that they could not operate and I was moved to Myton Hospice.
I was in the hospice for nearly three weeks. When I was leaving I was then told that they had thought I would not last more than two or three days. My son was due to get married late October and due to my worsening condition, he and his fiancé held a blessing at the hospice, so I could hear them exchange vows.
However due to the care I received at the hospice I was able to return home, and likely am able to attend my son's wedding.
Since being diagnosed I have made use of the Day Hospice service run by The Shakespeare Hospice, which improved my wellbeing and mental state. Meeting and talking with other patients and knowing that help was always available from trained professionals willing to speak with both myself and my relatives.'
Steve's willingness to share his story and campaign for fairer hospice funding has been truly inspiring. By speaking up on behalf of hospice patients and families, he is helping to raise awareness of the growing need for sustainable funding and ensuring future generations can access the care they need.
Steve has also chosen to leave a Gift in his Will to The Shakespeare Hospice, creating a lasting legacy that will support hospice care for years to come.
We are incredibly grateful for Steve's advocacy, generosity and determination to make a difference for others.
