Family was the centre of Cathie’s world and she was blessed to have a large, close family who enjoyed celebrating every occasion together. Cathie’s husband David and her daughter Jasmine have been talking to us about Cathie’s life and the time she spent here at the hospice.
“If you could sum my mum up in three words it would be family, holidays and parties. My mum was the centre of our family and she loved nothing more than celebrating together or spending time together on holiday. She had lots of friends too and she treated them all like part of the family”, said Jasmine.
Cathie Williams was born in 1970 and grew up in the Everton and Norris Green areas of Liverpool. David met Cathie in 1990 when they were both working for Tate & Lyle. He said: “Cathie was a receptionist but she only worked there for three months so I made sure I got her number and we arranged to go out.”
Later, Cathie worked for the NHS, where she stayed for 16 years, first at a GP surgery and then at Aintree Hospital, where she worked as a medical secretary.
David and Cathie were married in 1994 and they brought a house near to the hospital where she worked. Their daughter Jasmine was born in 1998. David said: “Cathie was a real family matriarch and family and friends would go to her for anything. She was always very close to her parents too and when Cathie’s dad Harry died suddenly in 2005, it came as a real shock. It was a tough time but she really looked after and cared for her mum.”
Jasmine says her mum was a real party planner and organiser: “She would get family and friends together at any opportunity and would always go above and beyond to make every occasion really special, with balloons, bunting and decorations.”
Jasmine recalls lots of adventures together too, “Mum was always organising holidays and, as a child, I was very lucky to visit San Francisco, Florida, Boston and New York, as well as many holidays in Mallorca and Portugal, which became a very special place.”
David added, “Holidays were really important to Cathie and we’d often go away in large groups, with Cathie organising everything. She just had this incredible attitude towards living the best life and I am so glad we did.”
In January 2023, Cathie felt a weakness down her left hand side. After a CT scan, she was told it was a viral infection. A later MRI scan lead to the diagnosis of a minor stroke. After 12 weeks of stroke rehabilitation, there was no improvement. In April 2023, Cathie had a second MRI and a team of consultants delivered the news that she had a fast growing Glioblastoma brain tumour on her frontal lobe, and there was no hope of a cure.
At just 52, life was going beautifully. Cathie and David felt a sense of freedom having just paid off their mortgage, and Jasmine had an offer accepted on her first home. So this diagnosis came as a massive shock and their whole world came tumbling down.
Cathie was referred to The Walton Centre and, in May 2023, she had a biopsy to discover if chemotherapy would slow it down. David said: “Cathie was insistent that she would fight it but the doctors had to give her the news that she couldn’t. She had about five days of intensive chemotherapy but it made her so ill that she had to be admitted to hospital and the treatment had to stop. Once she was stable, she came home and, with the help of the wonderful district nurses, we managed her symptoms and pain from home.
“All our family and friends did so much to help out as Cathie’s mobility deteriorated. We felt so much kindness and love from everyone we came in to contact with throughout the entire time Cathie was poorly.”
Once home, Cathie set to work planning the next 3-4 months, with regular visits to The Walton Centre and Clatterbridge Hospital, in between organising various family gatherings and celebrations.
Jasmine and her partner, James, got engaged in June 2023, giving Cathy the perfect party to plan. Jasmine said: “Mum helped us to pick the rings and helped to plan the most perfect engagement party. Last summer, she also organised a very special celebration weekend for the family in a large house with a pool and catering staff to help. It kept her focused on family and doing what she loved the most. Whilst her mobility and sight were deteriorating, she was mentally very strong.”
Throughout her planning, and entirely selflessly, Cathie always said that she wanted to go to a hospice when the time was right so as not to leave David and Jasmine with difficult memories in their family home. Cathie’s district nurse recommended St. Joseph’s Hospice and, in October, two weeks after Jasmine’s 25th birthday, Cathie arrived at the hospice.
David said: “Cathie trusted her district nurse completely and she knew the minute she arrived that it was the right place for her and all the pressures disappeared immediately. All the hospice staff, from the doctor, the nurses, and carers, to the cooks and cleaners were unbelievable and so kind. They all had a very personal touch and Cathie really clicked with them.”
Cathie eventually lost her sight but she had a stream of visitors keeping her company and she was able to share some special times with all her loved ones. After a few weeks, she became less responsive but then, suddenly, after a week of continuous pain medication through a syringe driver, Cathie woke up. David recalls: “She was with her mum and sister when she suddenly woke up and became very lucid. They called Jasmine and I, and we all enjoyed a very special few hours with her, playing music, and she even enjoyed a glass of prosecco. It really was one last hurrah in true Cathie style.”
“The very next day, on 16th November, her breathing changed and I could tell straight away that she didn’t have long. Within ten minutes of Jasmine arriving, she passed away. The nurses were wonderful, giving us as long as we wanted with her holding her hand. It’s the little things that meant so much. After the nurses cleaned and dressed her, they put her old teddy next to her with a rose, it was very poignant and personal.”
Cathie planned her funeral herself and it was a beautiful day at GreenAcres ceremonial woodland. Jasmine said: “Planning her funeral gave her peace and so many people came, it was exactly what mum wanted. Dad and I scattered her ashes in accordance with her wishes, from a cliff top above a beach in Albufeira, Portugal, which was a very special place for our family. We are taking the whole family back out there next year to celebrate dad’s 60th birthday in true Cathie style and she will certainly be there with us.”
In March 2024, Jasmine and her friends raised over £2,300 for the hospice by running the Liverpool Half Marathon in memory of Cathie.