Midnight walk set to support St Barnabas House

Jan O’Sullivan, assistant manager at the St Barnabas House Wick charity shop, is hoping to raise more than £1,000 by taking part in Night to Remember. Along with her team ‘John’s Angels’, Jan, who lives in Littlehampton, hopes to raise funds in memory of her husband, John O’Sullivan, who received care from St Barnabas House at the end of his life.

The team are taking on the 13.1 mile route at the tenth Night to Remember midnight walk, which this year takes place on Saturday, June 24.

Jan first entered a team of walkers in 2016 and was inspired to take part in memory of her husband John.

She said: “John was first diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asbestosis in 2010. He lived with the diagnosis for six years. During this time I cared for him whilst working, then I went down to part-time before eventually giving up working completely.

“After being introduced to the hospice, John used the Hospice at Home service which was great, and then he was admitted to the In-patient Unit in his last three weeks.

“St Barnabas House were totally and utterly amazing. John was a very strong and independent person, so he didn’t want to get involved with St Barnabas at first.

“The family stayed the night during one of his final days and John woke up and just said: ‘This is heaven, thank you.’ I couldn’t fault the service we received.”

Worthing based Jodie Sheehan is also set to take part in the Night to Remember midnight walk, aiming to raise £250 for St Barnabas House.

Jodie, 27, is walking with her auntie, Ruth Hughes, in memory of her grandfather David Hughes. This year will be the second time Jodie has taken part having previously done Night to Remember in 2015 with her mum and sister.

Jodie said: “We are doing the walk in memory of an amazing man who was a brilliant father, grandfather, son, brother and uncle.