14/06/2026
Marianne Martin, aged 38, is taking on the Run Leicester Festival and the Twilight Walk to give back to LOROS after her Dad was cared for on the inpatient ward in September 2025. Here’s her .
“My dad, Derrick, was admitted to LOROS in September 2025 at the age of 80 for 10 days. He was an ex-policeman who later drove a London black cab until his retirement. Dad moved to Leicester from Essex in 2017 to be closer to me, his only daughter, and my growing family.
He was diagnosed with aggressive bowel cancer in August 2025, and everything happened very quickly. Unfortunately, the cancer had already spread to his liver, so treatment was not an option, which was particularly hard to hear as my mother had passed away in 1996 in similar circumstances.
As a family, we tried to manage Dad at home. I’m a children’s ITU nurse but despite my nursing background and the support of fantastic carers, it was becoming very difficult. When the referral was accepted for him to be admitted to LOROS, it felt like a weight had been lifted from everyone, including Dad.
The whole team at LOROS were incredible and allowed me to be his daughter again rather than his nurse. They all took the time to get to know him and made sure he was as comfortable as possible. There were also so many thoughtful touches to support family and friends visiting, including toys for the children and the lovely food in the café. I was offered counselling and have continued to access this support ever since, which has been a huge help to me.
During the final days of Dad’s life, we were supported at every stage and included in every decision, with the opportunity to be with him at all times. Dad passed away on 10th October 2025, the day after my mother’s anniversary.
This will be the third year in a row that my husband and I have taken part in the Run Leicester Half Marathon. In the first year, a dear family friend, Catherine Mair, was pushed in a wheelchair by her husband, Alan, and started the race while Dad came to watch us all. The second year was only two weeks after Dad had died and six weeks after Catherine had also sadly passed away. With the support of my husband, two very lovely friends, and the volunteers shouting encouragement along the route, I was able to complete it.
Without hesitation, my husband and I signed up for the 2026 event to support LOROS, and my two friends have even decided to do it too. It is such a great event to take part in, and now it means even more to me.
I have also signed my family up for the Twilight Walk with the aim of raising even more money for LOROS. My three children are very excited to take part, and it feels really special that we can do it all together in memory of Dad. We are aiming to raise £500, and the children love keeping an eye on how we are getting on.
Supporting LOROS is now something that is part of our lives, and we will continue to encourage others to do the same to help support such a wonderful place
We are so grateful for the care Dad and our family received, and we hope others will consider supporting LOROS so they can continue helping families like ours.”
