A number of Wigan Warriors players paid their usual festive visit to the Ribblesdale Ward of the Rosemere Cancer Centre.
Helen Duchamp – who lives in Grenoble in France but who grew up in Bamber Bridge – has spent the last few months arranging for members of the first team to visit patients on the ward, and ensuring they would have plenty of gifts to hand out.
Helen arranged for her dad Mick Brakewell, who still lives in Bamber Bridge, to collect and drop off at the ward chocolates donated by Preston’s Beech’s Fine Chocolates, sweets from Lollipop of Bamber Bridge, toiletries gifted by Royal Sanders and Morrisons stores in Leyland and Bamber Bridge, plus mince pies from Greenhalgh’s.
In addition, family and friends also gave gifts for Mick to add to the consignment – enough goodies in total not only for patients but also for ward staff and visitors.
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Helen and her family take on the Santa role in memory of her mum Jill Brakewell, who spent time as a Ribblesdale patient. Jill sadly died of leukaemia in November 2015.
Jill was known for her love of Christmas and now making everything as Christmassy as possible for patients, their families and those looking after them is Helen’s legacy.
Helen, who has been making Ribblesdale’s Christmas extra special every year since 2016, said: “It was mum’s most favourite time of the year and she would be thrilled that we are bringing some Christmas cheer in her memory.”
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