On August 8, 2023, at Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth, we said our final goodbye to my wife, Laura.

Laura was devoted to our four young children, guiding them with joy and endless love. I was lucky enough to call her my wife.

In 2022, Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer. As her illness progressed, we did everything we could to keep her at home with the help of our families. But as her needs changed, our days became about managing care rather than treasuring the time we had left together.

This is not how Laura imagined our final days as a family.

After a short hospital stay, we made the difficult decision to move from treatment to comfort, to focus on peace, dignity, and being present. We brought Laura to Rotary Hospice.

I remember how bright her room was, filled with sunlight. There was space for our family to be together and room for our children to feel safe and included. Most of all, there were people who understood.

The Care Team cared for Laura with gentleness and dignity, and they cared for us, too. In countless small ways, they wrapped our family in comfort during the hardest days of our lives.

After Laura's death, that care continued. Rotary Hospice connected us with compassionate bereavement support, helping our children and me learn how to carry on while holding Laura close in our hearts.

Through it all, we were deeply grateful to know that Laura's care came at no cost to our family.

Because of Rotary Hospice, we were able to make the most of our time together.

Thank you for allowing me to share Laura's story and for helping families like ours simply be together.