overyourhead

Mark's Dad...
On Christmas Eve we drove up to stay with Mark's Dad, Patrick, in Coventry for a couple of days. Despite having lung cancer, Patrick seemed in quite good spirits when we arrived - albeit very tired, which is only to be expected. He has lost a lot of weight in the past week or so which was somewhat distressing to see. Yet he obviously has lost little of his spark. He was soon getting us to help him sit up. He wanted to know who was coming and going and how we were. On Christmas morning itself, Mark was hanging out his bedroom window hooking up an aerial to the spare TV that we'd brough up with us so he could watch the Christmas schedules from his bed. He was certainly pleased to see us both - especially at this time of year - just as we were pleased to see him. As I think I've mentioned before, I have a real soft spot of Mark's Dad. He was so very welcoming to me when I first met him; strangely enough at Mark's Mum's funeral almost 7 years ago now.

Mark, his sisters (Bernadette and Anne), his brother (Paul), nieces and nephews have all been doing stirling work looking after Patrick and it is no small tribute to the way that they have been brought up that they all rally round him when he is ill.