Sylvia Grace Bowles

My mum was my best friend she was always full of life, laughing out with friends for coach trips and lunch and so proud of her children and grandchildren . She loved her little bungalow and had lovely neighbours who cared. In later life after a cancer scare which she overcame , she became fearful of going out and no longer really socialised with her friends and spent the last couple of years of her life not venturing out of the bungalow . We tried to cheer her along , went for visits to see her , I did her shopping etc. I am sure I could & should have gone round more and that upsets me , even though I spoke to her every day on the phone on the days I didn’t get to go round . One day when I was dropping her shopping off , we found her sat in her chair and she had had a stroke . She spent three weeks on the stroke ward where we weren’t able to visit due to COVID and worried constantly as the stroke was severe and she lost her speech and movement on her right side and could not swallow . We had to make the decision along with the medical team to withdraw feed and meds as there was no outlook due recovery and would have a poor quality of life . As her care was then palliative we were allowed to be with her on her final days , it was so so hard seeing her deteriorate each day , but her end was so peaceful I was glad I was there with her along with my sisters and two daughters . I still can’t compute that she is gone and I will never see her again . I want to thank my Mum for being the great mum she was , the lessons and values she taught us , the laughs we had and helping us through our bad times and for just being her . I love you Mum and miss you so much , you are reunited with our lovely Dad xxxx