A WOMAN has opened up on how a Wrexham hospice supported her husband through his heartbreaking battle with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

At the age of 70, Ken Chesworth, from Wrexham, was dealt a devastating blow when he was diagnosed with the rare condition that progressively damages parts of the nervous system. 

This news had a profound impact on him, particularly because he had always been an active individual. Sadly, this condition gradually shuts down all the muscles in the body, posing immense challenges for someone like Ken.

Ken's wife, Angela Chesworth, described how he sought support from Nightingale House Hospice even when preconceptions about hospices made him reluctant to reach out.

She said: "A family member who worked at Nightingale House asked Ken if he wanted to have a look around the hospice. Ken really didn’t like the sound of a hospice and was unenthusiastic about the prospect of going. But we all said, 'Just give it a go... If you don’t like it, no problem.’ He went, and he never looked back. He was hooked."

Angela talked about the services Ken accessed when he attended sessions at the Wrexham based hospice. “He started going once a week to access a whole host of services," she said.

"He’d have Reiki, massage, and physiotherapy sessions to keep his limbs moving. He loved music therapy sessions, where he would join in with cymbals the team would strap to his feet, and sing along with everybody. They also had regular quizzes, which he loved, Ken would come home having won some prize or other.”

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Following his diagnosis, Ken’s condition slowly deteriorated. Angela said: “As his condition worsened, the hospice invited Ken for respite care, which was a few days and sometimes a week here and there, which helped him to feel better and gave us a break that we really needed.”

“Ken had said he wanted to be at home at the end. However, as his condition declined, he realised that we could no longer meet his needs at home. When it was suggested that he went to the hospice - he smiled. He was going to his second home. The hospice gave us one of their large rooms with an extra bed, and I never left his side during those final days. Ken died peacefully, without pain, and I was by his side.”

She added: “This cruel disease took everything away from Ken. But with the help and love from Nightingale House, we kept his pride and provide dignity intact until the very end.

“Nightingale House gave the very best end-of-life experience Ken could have ever wished for. It is a priceless local service that we should all cherish and support. My children and I are raising money for the hospice's new Inpatient Unit so that they can provide support when a family like ours needs it, as they did for us and Ken.”