Lynn Williams, one of our amazing fundraisers, took on a skydive for us in June!

She chose to raise money for Nottinghamshire Hospice because we supported her late husband, Doug Ledger, after his diagnosis of Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) in 2016. It was a stressful time for Doug’s family as it was his third diagnosis in 18 months – he was first misdiagnosed with Vascular Dementia and then Parkinson’s.  

Doug first attended Nottinghamshire Hospice’s wellbeing sessions, which we hold on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am. 

When talking about the Hospice, Lynn said: “As I entered for the first time, I thought ‘this place feels amazing’ and I felt myself relax as soon as I walked in the door. Everyone I spoke to was so lovely. The wellbeing sessions made such a difference for Doug, and he loved coming here. He would win all the competitions and come home with prizes.” 

Lynn, who is an above the arm amputee and has a pain condition, also had massages at the hospice. “It was time for me and really helped.” 

As Doug’s illness deteriorated, our night support team stepped in, visiting the house and providing care throughout the night. 

“Visits from the hospice night team allowed me to catchup on sleep. As Doug couldn’t tell me when he needed something, he had a sensor monitor that would light up green when he (or the cat!) moved. Someone had to have their eyes on him all the time. When Nottinghamshire Hospice’s night support came, I could give the monitor to the nurses so I could sleep. It was a huge relief as I hadn’t slept properly for days.

“He wanted to die at home and I wouldn’t have been able to give him a good death without the hospice. I was able to organise friends and family to come to visit him. Towards the end, Doug couldn’t speak but he felt understood by the nurses, even when he could no longer communicate.” 

Lynn said that her late husband was quite the character! 

“Doug was on water thickeners. However, he asked to go for a cocktail, and we went to Revolution De Cuba for our last wedding anniversary together. He ordered a huge rum cocktail in a tankard and managed to drink the whole thing! Much to his carers’ relief! He was also playing pranks on me right up to his death. Towards the end, he couldn’t speak. He made noises at me to make me think he needed something, but when his shoulders were shaking up and down, I realised he was laughing and didn’t need anything at all!”

Before his illness, Doug was a very skilled glass blower and people would come and watch him work at the window. He also had an allotment in St Ann’s. He also loved live music. When he went to his final concert (seeing The Kilts at Rock City), he was in a wheelchair.

“The bouncers at Rock City were amazing. Four of them carried him in his wheelchair up the steps and then down again once the concert was over. He was incredible and had great humour and courage.” 

Doug passed away in October 2018. 

2024 is a big year for Lynn as it is the year of her 60^th birthday and 15 years since she got the all-clear from cancer, where she lost her arm. A skydive was always on her bucket list as she had trained to do a skydive in her 20s but it didn’t materialise.

Lynn added, “I was always the daredevil out of the two of us. I can imagine him rolling his eyes at me for doing it. It’s comforting that places like Nottinghamshire Hospice exist and I want to make things better for those with no remission or cure.” 

There are so many ways to support Nottinghamshire Hospice, get in touch to find out how you can make a difference (you don’t have to jump out of a plane!)