Hospice made final weeks as special as they could be for Mummy

In 2024, Amy Sugg was cared for by the Hospice at Home Team before she was admitted to the Inpatient Unit. Her husband, Matt Sugg kindly shared their story:

“Amy was a very positive and happy person who always looked out for others first. She was kind and generous. She never put herself first. Even when she had visitors in the Hospice and she was becoming increasingly unwell, she would make sure they had a drink or something to eat from the many biscuits and cakes that had been brought in by others.

She loved spending time with our two young boys, Finley and Reuben. She was the fun one to them! Whether it was going to the seaside, the park or cinema, the boys just loved it. As a couple we loved going to see live music and comedians.

Having not had any previous experience of the Charity before Amy was unwell, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the services. However, what they did for Amy and us as a family was incredible and made a huge difference in hugely difficult circumstances.

The Hospice at Home team treated Amy with so much dignity and respect. Amy loved just chatting to them, telling them about what she did for work or her trips to Kenya working for a charity and showing them her photos. They loved listening to Amy and nothing was too much trouble. They also looked out for me. As Amy’s main carer they would happily sit with Amy if I needed to run an errand or just needed a break and wanted to head out for a run.

The staff at the Inpatient Unit were equally incredible. Amy was so well looked after and as things developed, they clearly communicated with us and supported us throughout. We, as a family, were very grateful that Amy spent her final weeks in that environment and not a busy hospital ward.

The nurses and team did so much to make her final weeks as special as they could be. They decorated Amy’s room early for Christmas (Amy, aged 42 years old, passed away on 6th December 2024) and we had a final Christmas together with all food provided by the Charity.

They set up a movie night so that our two boys, then aged 9 and 5 years old, could watch a film with mummy. They arranged a hand sculpture as a lasting memory of us all holding hands together and a print of Amy’s fingerprint, which we’ve since had made into jewelry, as another memory.

Outside of family life, Amy loved singing and was a member of a local choir, Vocal Remix, and she had sung at previous ‘Light Up a Life’ events at the Hospice. One of our fondest memories was when the choir sang to Amy outside her room at Arthur Rank Hospice just five days before she passed away. We managed to capture it on video and will always have that moment.

Her friends from ‘Vocal Remix’ also walked in her memory at Bridge the Gap in 2025, wearing t-shirts with her photo on their backs.

I’ve no doubt forgotten many other things they did for us all. Nothing was too much trouble and the environment made it easier to take in our two boys and not be overwhelmed by the situation.

Whilst I was aware of the Hospice and the work they do before she was cared for by the Charity, I had no experience or idea of the level of care they provided or appreciated just how much they relied on donations to keep the services going.

I ran the Cambridge Half Marathon in 2026 for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity as a thank you for the care they provided Amy and support to our family and of course in Amy’s memory. I did this to say a huge thank you to the Charity, which is one I will continue to support in any way I can, now and in the future.

Hospice Care is a vital service that we should not take for granted. Sadly, it is not until you go through the experience do you realise what amazing work a hospice does. Hospices go above and beyond everyday.”

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If you would like to donate to Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, your donation will be doubled if you donate during The Big Give Week, 1 -8 December 2026 here: arhc.org.uk/thebiggive