IN gratitude for the loving care Dorothy House offered his wife, Brian Raines has dedicated the past few months to raising money for the hospice.

Diane Raines was referred to Dorothy House in June 2001 after a recurrence of her breast cancer. Like so many victims of life-threatening illnesses, Diane viewed hospices as a place where people go to die and feared being put into care.

At the end of February 2002, Mrs Raines was re-admitted to the hospice as an in-patient, under the care of nurse specialist Sue Arthur Stevens, where she later died.

Mr Raines said: "Diane really didn't want to go we both had this idea of a gloomy, drab, miserable place."

"Sue managed to break the barrier and, of course, once we had been round we realised how different it was to what we had thought."

Over the past few months, Mr Raines has organised and taken part in fundraising events, recently completing a sponsored walk.

Supported by three friends, Mr Raines raised £1,200 in sponsorship during the Big Boy's Toys event at Castle Combe and has succeeded in donating over £2,500 in total.

He said: "It was a wonderful day and great to have a fundraising event that we really enjoyed."

The Dorothy House nurse specialists work closely with patients and their families, helping them adjust to the physical and emotional changes caused by a life-threatening illness.

Nurse specialist, Sue Arthur Stevens, said: "People tend to see our job as just working with the dying but what we do is help people to live as well as they possibly can until they die we can help people to cope."

The hospice is reputed for the continuing care and comfort it offers patients and their families.

Mr Raines said: "Diane found her illness very frightening and was afraid of dying. Sue was able to put Diane instantly at ease."

He added: "Diane came into the unit and many of our friends visited. They were amazed at what a calm, light, friendly, caring place it was."

Helping relatives to cope with bereavement is a large part of the nurses' work. As experts who care for the dying on a daily basis, nurse specialists like Sue Arthur Stevens offer a network of support for over 500 patients and families.

Sue Arthur Stevens said: "Its not only the physical symptoms it's the emotional impact of having a life-threatening illness or caring for somebody who has."

She added: "Job satisfaction comes in many forms- and one of the biggest challenges for me is realising it is my job and not my life, as you do become involved and committed to the patients."