A decade after losing her husband, Jennifer’s five-year-old twin daughters, Annabelle and April, wanted to mark the anniversary of their dad Simon’s passing while raising money for Butterwick Hospice. They came up with the idea of a ‘Twins Triathlon’, taking on a run, bike ride and swim all in one day. We spoke to Jennifer about Simon, the girls’ incredible challenge, and why they chose to support Butterwick Hospice.
“Simon was diagnosed with a synovial sarcoma in his knee in 2013 and received intensive chemo, surgery and then radiotherapy. Things were going okay for around a year and we got married, but then scans showed it had returned in his lungs and was inoperable.
“It was at this point we were signposted to Butterwick Hospice. Initially, we both had a negative association with the word hospice, but eventually we were encouraged to go and make use of the holistic therapies they offer. We were both surprised by the warm, welcoming, non-medical, homely atmosphere, and Simon began accessing different therapies when his treatment allowed.”
As Simon’s health deteriorated, he needed inpatient care at the Hospice, where Jennifer was able to stay by his side.
“Eventually, Simon’s health deteriorated to a point he required inpatient care, where I was able to stay with him. I will forever be grateful for them allowing us to spend what precious time he had left together. The nurses, care assistants and doctors could not have done more for us.
“After around a two-week stay, Simon actually came home on the Friday, but by the Monday he had again deteriorated massively, and they accepted us back in.”
Simon passed away in the early hours of the following morning, surrounded by his family and close friends.
“Simon passed away in the early hours of the following morning with his family and close friends by his side all through the night. The staff were amazing at accommodating us all.
“The support did not stop after his death. I received invaluable counselling to help me navigate my grief in the weeks and months after.”
Three years later, Jennifer and Simon’s twin daughters, Annabelle and April, were born through IVF. Although they never had the chance to meet their dad, Jennifer has always made sure they know about him and the special place that cared for him.
“Three years later, the girls were born by IVF, and although they never met their daddy, he has always been spoken about, and they know about the special place and people who looked after him. Butterwick is close to all of our hearts.”
The Twins Triathlon
To honour Simon’s memory and raise money for Butterwick Hospice, Annabelle and April decided to take on a ‘Twins Triathlon’, completing a run, bike ride and swim all in one day.
We asked Jennifer why they chose a triathlon for their fundraising challenge.
“Simon was sporty, so we decided to do a sports-based challenge and couldn’t decide whether to run, swim or bike, so went with all three.
“They got their cousins on board to join in too, and they were given T-shirts from the fundraising team to wear on the day. They were all really excited to watch the donations come in and the total climb!”
The six-year-old twins were joined by their cousins Charlie, Alfie and Lexi, who all took part in the challenge to help raise money for the Hospice.
Annabelle told us what she enjoyed most about the day:
“I really liked the biking. We wanted to raise lots of money to help people get looked after. I was very proud and happy at the finish.”
April also shared why the challenge was important to her.
“I thought it was important to do because the Hospice didn’t have enough money to fix people, and they need enough to be able to take care of everyone like Daddy. I was really proud when we finished. It was hard doing the swimming without touching the floor.”
Their cousins were equally enthusiastic about taking part and supporting such an important cause.
Charlie said: “I had lots of fun, especially the biking! We know that the Hospice helps lots of people and does a really important job, so we wanted to try and raise lots of money!”
Alfie added: “It was a wonderful and fun experience – the swimming was probably the best bit! We were happy to help in raising money for Butterwick Hospice.”
Lexi explained what motivated her to take part: “We did it to say thank you for looking after Simon and because people miss him.”
A special thank you to Butterwick Hospice
For Jennifer and her family, the triathlon was about more than fundraising. It was an opportunity to remember Simon, celebrate his life and give something back to the Hospice that supported them during such a difficult time.
Reflecting on Simon’s time at the Hospice a decade ago, Jennifer said:
“The support and care we received from the Hospice was truly amazing, so we are just glad we can help (even in a small way) other families who need it, and doing it all in Simon’s name makes it even more special.”
The twins and their cousins have shown incredible dedication and compassion through their fundraising efforts. At just six years old, Annabelle and April took on a fantastic challenge, supported by Charlie, Alfie and Lexi, aged 12, 10 and four.
Together, they have raised over £1,500 for Butterwick Hospice, helping support other families when they need it most.
On behalf of everyone at Butterwick Hospice, we would like to say a huge thank you to Annabelle, April, Jennifer and their family for their amazing fundraising efforts, and to everyone who donated to support them.
If you would like to support the twins’ fundraising efforts, you can donate via their just giving page here
