Christine’s Story
After losing her partner of 43 years, Christine describes how the Hospice proved to be the lifeline she never knew she needed.
Today, I want to share Christine’s story with you, it’s a story of love and loss and how with the right support can help even in the darkest of times.
Christine and her husband Kevin were inseparable. For 43 years, they built a life together in Newry, side by side in everything they did. “Where you saw one, you always saw the other,” Irene recalls. When Kevin was diagnosed with cancer, her only thought was to be there for him. As his health declined, they cherished every moment at home, making the most of their time together, as they always had.
When he sadly passed away, the world Irene had known disappeared, she lived alone for the first time in her life, the home they had filled with laughter and conversation was suddenly silent.
A year passed. Encouraged by her niece and following a gentle nudge from her daughter, Irene reached out to Evora Hospice. Christine took her first step toward healing. What started as an hour of quiet relief in the capable hands of our reflexologist, Ann, soon became something much more, it became a lifeline
The reflexology sessions offered a much-needed hour of peace, a sanctuary and escape from the quiet loneliness of her home. As time passed and encouraged by her conversations with Ann, Christine reached out to our bereavement support services.
Through one-to-one counselling and The Bereavement Journey programme, led by our chaplain, Jim, Irene found something she never expected, friendship and hope. In a warm and welcoming group of people experiencing similar loss, who understood her pain, she discovered that grief didn’t have to be faced alone. Each session lifted a little of the burden, replacing sorrow with understanding and isolation with friendship. Slowly, she began to find her way forward.
Then, in 2023, devastating floods forced Irene from her home. Once again, she faced upheaval and uncertainty. But this time, she was not alone. The Drop-In Café at the Hospice became her anchor, a place to feel safe, to belong, and to rebuild.
Looking back, Christine describes the Hospice as the lifeline she never knew she needed. “I didn’t think anything could ease the pain of losing Kevin,” she says. “But the kindness I found here, the people who listened, the moments of peace, it all helped me find my way back to living again.” She learned to smile again at the memories of Kevin, and knew that living a full life is what he would have wanted for her.