A 17-month-old toddler whose mother died of cancer just weeks after she was born will attend a service to honour her with her family.
The special outdoor ‘Light up a Life’ service will take place at St Ann’s Hospice, Little Hulton, on December 8.
The toddler, Bethany Grace, will attend with her dad Carl and three brothers to celebrate the life of Barbara Makovecz who was diagnosed with cancer while she was giving birth.
A brain seizure led to Barbara having an emergency caesarean and, as a result, doctors found the she had tumours in her brain and major organs.
Barbara’s husband Carl said: “It’s hard to put into words the care and compassion from the nurses and staff at the hospice – they were wonderful and like an extended family.
“We went to the Light up A Life service last year even though she’d not long passed away and it was a lovely occasion with a choir and brass band. We have no hesitation in going along again this year.
“Barbara was a warm, kind-hearted lady who never had a bad word for anyone and would always put others first. I can’t praise the hospice enough for what they did for us all and I’ve made so many good friends there.”
Barbara, who was a Post Office worker, had further seizures after giving birth which caused her to have memory loss and meant she was unable to look after her new-born child.
Eight weeks later Barbara died, having spent her last 11 days at St Ann’s Hospice.
As part of honouring her memory Carl will make a donation by dedicating a light on a Christmas tree to his wife.
Light up A Life organiser Stewart Graham said: “You can dedicate a light to anyone you choose. They don’t need to have been a patient at St Ann’s Hospice and it could be someone who can’t be with you at this time of year.
“Each dedication is recorded in a Book of Honour and for every light dedicated you receive a special card containing your dedication.”
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