Southend Havens launches heartfelt Christmas campaign

This year’s Christmas campaign, “Make Your Mark”, shines a light on the impact of compassionate hospice care through the story of Bex Oglina, told by her best friend Lucy Layzell, a nurse at Little Havens, in Thundersley.

Lucy found herself on the other side of hospice care when Bex became a patient at Fair Havens, in Prittlewell.

Lucy, who has dedicated her career to supporting children and families through end-of-life care at Little Havens, experienced first-hand the compassion, dignity and comfort that hospice care provides when Bex was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at just 32 years old.

Messages - The display stands out in the window of Fair Havens. (Image: Havens Hospices)

After months in and out of hospital, Bex chose Fair Havens for her final months – somewhere she could find peace, comfort and precious time with her young son Zu and all her loved ones.

The campaign is inspired by the artwork of Bex after she created a colourful house surrounded by uplifting balloon “fingerprints” from the people she loved.

Tribute - Lucy (left) with best friend Bex (right) who inspired the display. (Image: Havens Hospices)

This design has now been transformed into a stunning window display at Fair Havens thanks to Southend-based artist Chalk of the Town, where volunteers can write submitted messages on a balloon tag to add to the display.

Lucy said: “For Bex, the care at Fair Havens was about more than medicine, it was about the things that made her – cake, music, jigsaws, laughter.

“If she hadn’t come to Fair Havens, she wouldn’t have been as comfortable in the last months of her life, and I don’t think we would have had those extra weeks with her.

“The hospice didn’t just care for Bex, they gave us time – time to laugh, to cry, to make memories that will last a lifetime. And for that, I will always be grateful.”

Family - Bex's son Zu visited the display to leave a message in memory. (Image: Havens Hospices)

Fair Havens helped Bex to spend meaningful time with her son, Zu, even arranging for him to celebrate his second birthday at the hospice.

Lucy and Zu recently added their own messages of love to the display. Now, Havens Hospices is inviting members of the public to do the same.

To contribute a message to the display this Christmas, supporters can visit havenshospices.org.uk/christmasmessage to donate and send a message to be added to the mural.

Havens also recently concluded the Robins of Remembrance campaign, which saw 1,000 robin decorations hung on trees in memory of loved ones.