A CARING daughter is on a mission to raise £10,000 for a Renfrewshire hospice which comforted her dad in his final days as he battled cancer.

Victoria Hamilton wants to ‘give something back’ to St Vincent’s Hospice, in Howwood, where staff looked after her 74-year-old dad Tom Maitland before he died last November.

She aims to coin in a five-figure sum after estimating the hospice spent £10,000 looking after Tom, from Houston, during the time he was in their care.

Victoria told The Gazette: “I owe them big time for the compassion, professionalism, kindness and expertise they showed my beloved dad and my family for the 27 days he was in their loving care, until he sadly lost his battle with terminal bowel cancer on November 14, 2018.”

With the support of friends and family, Victoria is well on her way to reaching her target, with the total now standing at almost £7,600.

She will coin in more cash next month by running the Loch Ness Marathon and has also joined forces with her friend Alyson Scott to arrange a less energetic fundraiser in the form of a coffee afternoon at Habbies, in Kilbarchan, on Sunday, September 29, from 1pm to 4pm.

Victoria, from Kilmacolm, knows every penny raised will be put to good use to help other people like her dad, who worked for British Gas before his retirement and was a life member of Old Ranfurly Golf Club, in Bridge of Weir.

“The days and weeks leading up to dad’s admission to the hospice were dark times,” she said. “Every day was a further descent into Hell, watching him deteriorate and knowing we had run out of options.

“My mum Irene was close to breaking point and we simply didn’t know where else to turn but, from the moment he was admitted into their care, we felt rescued.

“I had always naively thought a hospice was a place you went to die but I now know a hospice is a place you go to live – a place where you need not suffer any pain, where emotional support is available around the clock for the family, where people are loved and supported and where the patient’s last breath is made as dignified and comfortable as possible.”

To make a donation, visit her JustGiving page. 

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