‘He would be proud’ – Family honours Hospice volunteer Danny

Danny Goodwin was a loving husband, father and family man, and a lifelong Manchester United fan and an avid concert-goer.

“He was quite an active person and we used to go dancing together,” his wife Vera said. “He liked to go out and keep busy – he used to like going for a pint and he was in a quiz team.”

Born in Hattersley and one of eight children, Danny was brought up in the countryside and loved walking.

“We used to go on hikes with dad’s (large!) extended family when we were kids which has left us with such happy memories,” his daughter Jane told us.

“He was always good at art and took some lessons later in life – we have some of his paintings hanging in our homes.”

Danny harnessed his interest in art to become a painter and decorator, and his love of the outdoors led to him volunteering in the Willow Wood Hospice gardens for 15 years.

He was inspired to give back after one of his sisters, Janet, received end-of-life care at the Hospice.

“Dad loved helping out in the gardens and he would even bring our beloved dog Cassie with him. I came with him one day just to help too,” said Jane, who lives nearby in Ashton-under-Lyne.

“He also helped out at some fundraising events – he would get involved in the duck race and took part in the Firewalk one year too.”

‘Fantastic care – not just for my dad, for us too’

Danny was therefore familiar with the Hospice’s surroundings when he became ill.

“He said he really wanted to go to Willow Wood Hospice,” Vera explained. “It was always where he wanted to be. He was very happy in here although he was really poorly.

“You weren’t worried about leaving him at Willow Wood because you know he’d be really well looked after.”

Danny came to the Hospice’s Inpatient Unit in June 2015 and spent eight days in our care before he died from lung cancer, aged 73. His family were very grateful for the care he received.

Danny’s daughter Louise said: “The staff were really good and attentive. I can’t praise them enough, honestly. Fantastic care – not just for my dad, for us too. We felt he was in such good hands and it took a lot of the stress off us, particularly my mum. Nothing was too much trouble. You don’t feel rushed to leave and we could bring the dog to see him. It feels like you can come any time and it feels peaceful.

“Just to be able to come and spend time in such a beautiful environment was so lovely. It was June so the weather was lovely and we used to wheel him outside so he wasn’t indoors all the time – the rooms are attached to the gardens which is great.”

How Danny’s family still support the Hospice

Louise said realising the Hospice was largely funded by donations from the community was the driver to support it more.

Jane added: “I just feel like that’s what he’d want us to do. He would be proud.”

Since Danny’s death, the family have supported the Hospice in a number of ways.

Vera, Jane and Louise all play our weekly Lottery and have attended fundraising events over the years, while Vera also donates clothes to our charity shops.

“We go every year to the Flower Festival, the Last Night of the Proms and the Garden of Lights, which are all lovely events,” said Louise.

Jane added: “We always donate for Light up a Life. Louise and I also did the Midnight Wander before dad died. The year after, I did the abseil from Ikea and managed to raise £1,000. I just felt that I needed to give something back and I loved it.

“My dad also decided that he wanted donations at his funeral to go to Willow Wood.”

They also attend the Butterfly Memory Release every summer in the Hospice gardens that Danny helped to maintain.

“It’s just beautiful and particularly because it’s in the gardens where dad volunteered,” said Jane.

“It’s amazing how many people come to it. It’s just a very nice, calming atmosphere. It’s peaceful and you can just reflect.”

‘People should not be fearful of a hospice’

Living locally, Danny’s family were aware of Willow Wood but didn’t know much about it until Danny’s sister Janet was cared for.

They think more people are becoming aware of what hospices do and that they are not places to be feared.

“I think people are more aware of it these days, definitely. I think people should not be fearful of a hospice at all,” Louise said.

“I have said to people that I know that the Hospice is a beautiful place. It’s uplifting in a way. The fact we can still come in years later is of great comfort to us.”

They want others to support Willow Wood so our specialist teams can continue to support more families like theirs.

“It’s worth supporting the Hospice because people need it,” said Jane. “It’s an important part of the community as well. When we come to the Coffee Mornings here, or the other events, we’re here for a sad reason in our lives, but it’s still a lovely community feeling.”

If you would like to find out more about the services Willow Wood Hospice provides, you can visit www.willowwood.org.uk or call 0161 330 1100.