Julia’s story
In Memory of My Mum, Lorraine Bullough
Written by Julia, in loving tribute
My mum, Lorraine Bullough, was a wife, mother, granny, sister, aunty, friend, colleague and neighbour. She was diagnosed with bowel cancer in March 2024 and had an operation on 2nd April to remove the tumour. It was deemed successful and Mum slowly recovered in the comfort of her home with her husband Ian, family and friends around her.
She was driving again after six weeks and loved having her independence back and was always busy, having lunch with friends, organising her book group, volunteering on a Tuesday at Hospice at Home or keeping up to date with the comings and goings of her grandchildren. She adored them and often heard their news before my brother or myself as she was a dab hand with technology, often having the latest iPhone or MacBook to keep in touch with them wherever they were in the world. When they were home they would pop over to help her with a new phone app, debate current affairs or just to share a buttered crumpet, honey and a cup of tea!
In November, Mum started getting a sore back. Various painkillers were prescribed and as November slid into December, she quickly went downhill. She wasn’t able to get dressed and stopped going out, preferring to stay at home with Dad looking after her. Her grandchildren tried to cheer her up and meals were carried across the village green — I live next door — but her appetite diminished and her energy levels became non-existent.
Christmas is always a fun family affair, but Mum felt too unwell to come the few steps to my house, so I plated up Christmas lunch with all the trimmings and sent it back with Dad when he returned home. She could only manage a small mouthful. By January, Mum couldn’t get out of bed, she wasn’t eating, and had lost interest in listening to the radio or her audiobooks. A hospital scan brought devastating news, though I think in her heart of hearts Mum already knew. The cancer had spread everywhere and it was terminal. She did not want to go into hospital, but to stay at home.
That’s when Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland stepped in to provide their expert end of life care. Working alongside the district nurses, they supported Mum and our family through her final weeks. Mum knew most of the Hospice at Home nurses personally, having volunteered with them on the front desk for 16 years. She was able to share a few laughs with them — the kind of warmth and familiarity that only true compassion brings — and in return, my dad, my brother and I could relax knowing she was receiving the very best care possible.
To say the Hospice at Home nurses were angels is an understatement. They provided expert clinical care and emotional support not just for Mum, but for all of us. Their presence brought peace and dignity to her final days. Mum died peacefully at home on 6th February 2025, surrounded by love.
Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland provides free, compassionate, palliative and end of life nursing care across a large rural area, supporting patients and families to remain in the comfort of their own homes. More than 85% of the charity’s funding comes from the generosity of the local community — through donations, events and fundraising efforts — to ensure local people can access care when it’s needed most.
Mum had always been a great advocate for volunteering and community support, so it felt only right to give back. I decided to take part in The Great North Swim, and with the amazing power of JustGiving — and the good old-fashioned way of collecting donations — I raised £2,967.71 for Hospice at Home, in memory of my mum, Lorraine Bullough.
It was my way of saying thank you to the team who gave my mum the care, dignity and peace she deserved, and who helped us as a family through one of the hardest times of our lives.