THE family of a much-loved husband and father who lost his battle against cancer earlier this year have donated a generous gift of �2,000 to the unit where he received his care.

THE family of a much-loved husband and father who lost his battle against cancer earlier this year have donated a generous gift of �2,000 to the unit where he received his care.

Caister man Maurice Sendall passed away from chronic lymphocytic leukaemia at the James Paget Hospital in May.

Following his death, his widow Joan and daughters Alison and Lucy decided to raise money in his memory by asking for donations rather than flowers at his funeral service.

They raised �2,000 as a result, which Mrs Sendall presented to staff at the Sandra Chapman Centre today.

“Maurice was first diagnosed in 2003, and received his care at the Sandra Chapman Centre,” said Mrs Sendall.

“The cancer came back last year, so he began chemotherapy at the hospital for a second time.

“He was treated so well at the Sandra Chapman Centre that we all wanted to give something back to the unit after he died to show our appreciation for the care he had received.

“The staff were always so wonderful to my husband, and he had a lot of respect for them. It seemed fitting to do this in his memory.”

The money donated in Mr Sendall's memory will be spent on equipment which will directly benefit patients using the Sandra Chapman Centre in the future.

Ward matron Sonia Cole said: “We are extremely grateful to Mrs Sendall and her daughters for this kind donation. We're planning to use it to purchase a new infusion pump, which is used to deliver intravenous medication such as chemotherapy.

“We would like to extend our thanks to Joan, Alison and Lucy and to everyone who gave so generously in Maurice's memory.”