We are very sad to share the news that valued FTWW member, Sam Skelton (pictured), very sadly passed away on 18^th July.

Sam was many wonderful things to so many people, but we’d like to share a bit more about the Sam we got to know. She was a very good friend of “the two Dees” at FTWW; our Engagement Officer, Dee Montague-Coast, and Trustee and Neurodivergence and Mental Health Champion, Dee Dickens. It was through them that Sam joined our Facebook group, where she often shared excellent, kind, and compassionate advice to her fellow members. When Marie Curie approached us to ask if we had any members who might be interested in becoming patient representatives for their Gender & End of Life Care Research, we knew Sam would be perfect.

Sam knew some time ago that she would eventually die due to cancer, and she wanted to give something back before she did. As a result of her partnership with Marie Curie, she has left an incredible legacy that will help so many others living with terminal illness, as well as their loved ones. She contributed to ‘Gender and end of life care: A Marie Curie policy paper exploring gender differences in end of life experience in Wales’, and wrote the report’s foreword. We would encourage everyone to read it, not least to experience Sam’s phenomenal writing.

Find the report in English, here or in Welsh, here.

Sam also contributed to Marie Curie’s Planning Ahead booklet, which aims to help patients thinking about their care and wishes ahead of time. Sam was “Very honoured and proud to have been involved”, and advised people to think about their wishes and try to make plans for end of life, regardless of their health status; “If only more people were open to this, it would make everything easier for those bereaved, grieving and having to cope with the death of a loved one.”

The team at Marie Curie told us she was an absolute delight to work with and that she has left a legacy of what it is to be a wonderful person. We couldn’t agree more.

Our thoughts go out to all who know and love Sam. For anyone who needs it, Marie Curie’s Support Line is available on 0800 090 2309, or you can find additional support here.

With love, from all of us at FTWW.