Sister John Vianney, One of the Founding Sisters

I came over from Ireland on the 8th of November 1977 and I was there [at St Gemma’s Hospice] from November to the April before we opened getting everything ready.

I was always happy to be there, I like my work. It was a new project for us, it was something very new.

If you start something and it continues in a good way I think that’s wonderful. The Hospice is beautiful now. It’s all progress and I think that’s wonderful.

The staff was great, they were very loyal. Even years and years after they would always write to me and we always kept very close together. Whatever happened in the kitchen, stayed in the kitchen.

I remember exactly when Terry came in the first day because I had got the word that he was going to be an awkward patient and that he would eat very little. So I went round to him and the first thing he ate that day was scrambled eggs and toast and cream crackers and cheese, it’s funny the way you remember.

You got to know all the relatives and all that and you’d always make sure that they had something to eat as well, they’d come in on their way home from work to see their loved ones.

We’d always let them know every day that we were thinking about them, that they weren’t just a number. I think that’s really important.

Their vision created your hospice. Donate today and keep it evolving: www.st-gemma.co.uk/40faces-donation