A Stoke-on-Trent couple are gearing up to take on the annual Dougie Mac Moonlight Walk later this month in memory of 19 family members.

Paula McDonald, from Smallthorne, and her partner Paul will be walking the ten-mile route on 20 June with others to raise money for the charity.

Mum-of-two, Paula, 56, had two heart attacks in her 40s and will be walking in memory of her mum, dad, grandma, aunties, cousin and uncles after losing them all to cancer. 

Paula's mum was just 51 when she died due to cancer, just 17 months after the birth of Paula's first son in 2000. Her dad passed away when her second son was 12 weeks old in 2009. 

Paula will be supported at the Moonlight Walk by Paul, who also lost his mum to cancer four years ago, and will be proudly wearing a pink hi-vis with the names of her family emblazoned on the back. 

The Moonlight Walk will leave from St Peters Academy at 10pm on 20 June and partipants are still able to secure their place here.

Paula said: "I have wanted to do the Moonlight Walk for many years but didn't have the health or the courage to do it.

"This year I'm going for it to raise as much money as I can to say thank you to the Dougie Mac team for the care and support they have shown my family.

"My mum was in Dougie Mac for a week before she died and my dad was in for two hours before he passed away. The care they received was exceptional in different ways. 

 "The compassion and support we received from Dougie Mac – at home and in the hospice from early diagnosis to end of life - was so invaluable."

Paula explained how caring gestures from the team at the Dougie Mac Hospice motivated her to want to raise money for the charity.

Paula added: "During respite at Dougie Mac, my dad was able to choose memory blankets for my sons. They were made by a group of volunteers and so beautifully made. They are still used today by both my sons. 

"The care didn't stop with my mum and dad either. It extended to the family too, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Following my mum's death, they gave us advice about what happens next like getting a death certificate, registering her death and letting everyone know. 

"They provided a list of funeral directors and told us what to do with the medical equipment and medication we had at home – things we had never done before. They also offered bereavement counselling. 

"The nurses offered a sense of calmness through the storm and a deeper understanding of our pain, hurt and loss. All the staff were amazing and were full of support whenever we needed them.

"They cried with us, laughed with us and even hugged us when we needed it most – they really were with us every step of the way. 

"It's the little things like that – where staff go above and beyond – that you remember." 

"Because of that care, I will be walking 10 miles in memory of my family who have died and also for my family who have struggled with cancer more recently and are on the road to remission." 

Paula will be supported at the Moonlight Walk by her partner Paul – who also lost his mum to cancer four years ago - and will be proudly wearing a pink hi-vis with the names of her family emblazoned on the back. 

She continued: "I will walk with appreciation and my heartfelt thanks to the Dougie Mac for their support and continuous hard work." 

Deborah Vickers, Head of Business and Events Fundraising said: "We are very grateful to Paula and every single person who signs up to take part in any of our events. 

"The Moonlight Walk is a fun event that brings hundreds of people together to support their local hospice.

We'll meet at St Peter's Academy, Fenton, from 8pm, where our walkers will be greeted by an entertainment stage with live music, refreshment stands and a glitter station. There will then be a short warm up before it's time to hit the streets at 10pm. 

"While our Moonlight Walk is a fun, lively event, many of our walkers will be taking part in memory of a loved one who has been cared for by Dougie Mac, which also makes the walk special. 

"As part of the route there's an opportunity to stop at Dougie Mac's Adult Services in Blurton where participants will have the chance to pause and remember their loved ones. 

"And, for the first time since the amalgamation of The Donna Louise into Dougie Mac, there will also be an opportunity to remember children and young adults in our Moonlight Garden at our Children and Young Adult Services in Trentham."  

Everyone who enters will receive a Moonlight Walk t-shirt to wear on the night, and, when they cross the finish line in the early hours of the morning, they will receive a medal too.   

Deborah added: "Not only are our events lots of fun, but they also play a vital role in helping us to raise the money we need to continue our care and support services for local children, young adults and adults.

If you take part, you will have a brilliant night and you will also be making a real difference to our local community."  

Find out more about the Moonlight Walk here.

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