A courageous and inspiring terminally ill patient at The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice took on an almost impossible challenge - to fundraise for the hospice from her bedside.
Fifty-four-year-old Jean (Jeanie) McGrillen has managed to raise almost £7,000 by organising a fundraising night complete with DJ, buffet and raffles. Jean set herself a target of £5,000 after witnessing first-hand the incredible care the hospice provides.
Born and bred in Govan, Jean was first diagnosed with cancer of the appendix and endometriosis in 2016. Following a hysterectomy, Jean went on with her life, working as a housekeeper at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and caring for her family as a devoted mother to Raymond and Maxine and loving gran to Myla and Ava. However, towards the end of 2021, Jean found her health deteriorating. She was then diagnosed with lung cancer which had sadly spread to her bones, pelvis and spine.
Jean was diagnosed as terminal at this point and bravely proceeded with treatment options including chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Jean says: “I started treatments but they started to cause reactions in my body so I decided to stop them. I was then put in touch with the hospice for palliative care. I had attended one of their Christmas events and thought the building was just lovely. I said at the time I would like to be cared for there. Little did I know I would soon need their care.
“I started coming to the Living Well Hub with my friend, Tracey at the start of 2024 as an outpatient. I really enjoyed my time there, I loved getting massages, my hair washed and nails done. I also really valued being able to speak with other patients in similar situations to me.
“In April I became very unwell and ended up in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for about two weeks. After that I was discharged home and the Community Nursing Team from the hospice helped care for me at home.
“Then about three weeks ago, I became very unwell and after conversations with my care team, I agreed to come into the hospice for inpatient care. It was the best decision. I have been blown away by the level of care and attention shown by the staff here at the hospice. Nothing is too much trouble. They are just magic, they’ve looked after me and my family with such love and compassion.
“I said to my sisters Elaine and Annie and friends Tracey and Tammy that we really needed to do something to raise money for the hospice. And that was that, a fundraising committee was formed right there in my hospice bedroom. We decided to organise a fundraising night, so we booked the Fairfield Club, organised a buffet, a raffle and a DJ. I was ordering raffle prizes from Amazon from my hospice bed. My daughter Maxine is a hairdresser, and she organised a star prize of GHDs, high-end hair products and tools which ended up raising £600 alone.”
More than 250 of Jean’s friends and family came along to the special night on Friday 6 September, with Jean as guest of honour.
“It was just fantastic; everyone had a great time and I made sure I was up there on the dance floor. I’ve always loved a party and nothing has changed. That’s how I want to be remembered, as someone who loved a party and who enjoyed life, states Jean.
Explaining her reasons for the fundraising, Jean said: “I really wanted to raise this money so that I can help benefit patients of the hospice in the future. The care I’ve had is just the best and I want to make sure other patients get to experience the same care.”
Adding to Jean’s total, her niece Courtney Early and Jean’s friend Lynne Collie, both completed sponsored 5ks, bringing Jean’s total fundraising to just over £8,000.
Rhona Baillie, Chief Executive of The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice, comments: “Jean is a truly inspiring person, her determination and strength of will is just incredible. The fact that Jean has managed to raise this amazing amount from her hospice bed, while coping with a life-limiting illness is truly remarkable.
“While our care and services are free to everyone who needs them, as a charity we do rely on the public’s generosity to keep the hospice running. So, we are very grateful to Jean and her friends and family for raising these vital funds to ensure we are able to keep on caring for patients in the future.
“The hospice is a special place, and I am so glad that Jean is comfortable and happy here. Our staff do all they can to make each patient feel at home here and we will continue to do this into the future.”
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