Donna Fellows is a Clinical Administrator working at the St Barnabas Hospice Inpatient Unit in Lincoln. When she is not working at the Hospice, she is the landlady at the Queen in the West pub! Her pub was one of the first to sign up to the Hospice’s brand-new Pub Quiz initiative to help raise more money for patients, just like the ones cared for by her team.
The Queen in the West has an extra special connection to the Hospice as Donna’s mum Glenis, who was also a landlady in the West End of Lincoln, was cared for in the Inpatient Unit in 2019 and 2020 before she sadly died.
Donna said, “Mum was diagnosed with bowel cancer, which had a devastating effect on the family. The disease was cruel, and the mum we knew and loved completely changed in the last eighteen months of her life. Seeing her suffer was awful, especially when we knew she was in constant pain.
“As Christmas approached, her symptoms increased, and we could see the pain getting worse. That’s when it was suggested for her to go St Barnabas Inpatient Unit. The team there were just wonderful. They reviewed her medication, reassured us all and gave us time to talk about Mum’s illness and the impact it was having on all the family.
“On Christmas Eve we brought Mum home for our traditional family meal, but she was absolutely exhausted by the time we dropped her back off at the Hospice. The staff went above and beyond to make her peaceful that Christmas, dimming the lights and placing special lanterns at the end of each patient’s bed. It was such a gentle, beautiful moment and we all shed a tear knowing that it would be Mum’s last Christmas.
“In her years working behind the bar at her pub and when she visited my pub, Mum adored pub quizzes. She would always help teams out with answers and particularly enjoyed the 60s music round.
“It felt only right that Mum’s story was used for the launch of a campaign based in a pub. We will be holding ours at the Queen in the West early next year, and I hope lots of our friends and regulars come out to join us.
“Mum would be so pleased to see that we are doing this in her honour, and to thank the wonderful people at St Barnabas who cared for her in her hour of need.”
Pubs and social clubs across Lincolnshire are now invited to sign up to host a St Barnabas Hospice Pub Quiz. It is completely free to sign up and each establishment will receive a pack including branded beer mats, quiz sheet, collection pot and posters. Their quiz night will also feature on the Hospice’s website.
To sign up free of charge, visit www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/pubquiz