David and Mabs: from a Lewisham dancehall, with love

From a Lewisham dancehall, with love

When David walked into Heart of Kent Hospice last week to meet our Individual Giving team, he came armed with stories - and we had the absolute pleasure of listening.

David and his wife Mabs (short for Mabel) met in 1959 at a dancehall above a departmental store called Cheeseman’s in Lewisham. He was a Mod. She was, by all accounts, the love of his life. They married in 1963 and spent 63 years together.

"They fed us and watered us," David told us, laughing, as he recalled the care Mabs received in our In-Patient Unit. He spoke warmly of IPU nurse Maureen - "she used to spoil us" - and of the support Sylvia Rothschild from our Family Support Team gave them both. Volunteer counsellor Phoebe gave Mabs a hand-sewn cross-stitch that still sits on her chair at home today.

When Mabs passed, David's whole world changed. He had to find a way forward, and Heart of Kent Hospice helped him do that. He now comes in almost every Wednesday, and has built a close group of friends through our services. They meet for dinner, they look out for each other, and they understand one another in a way that's hard to put into words.

"It's nice to be around people who understand," he said.

David also has a bench dedicated to Mabs at Leybourne Lakes, where the two of them used to walk together. He still does the route regularly - keeping an eye on the bench, and keeping an eye out for any birds that might have had other ideas about it! It is there for everyone to enjoy, even the birds!

When he heard about our 35th anniversary appeal, the decision to give felt natural. He wanted Mabs to be part of it - celebrated in our commemorative book, alongside the stories of so many others whose lives have been touched by this hospice.

We're so glad David came in to share their story with us. And we think Mabs sounds absolutely wonderful.