Donations flood in for Mary Stevens Hospice in memory of Kate

Kate Turner (nee Winning), aged 47, passed away at the hospice on December 1 after a re-occurrence of the acute myeloid leukaemia that she had so bravely and successfully battled as a young woman more than 20 years ago.

Much-loved Kate courageously fought a three-year battle against the deadly disease in the late 1990s during which she endured chemotherapy, radiotherapy, a bone marrow transplant thanks to sister Sarah, then a second ground-breaking transplant of stem cells after a relapse.

During her illness Kate appeared in the press so often she became something of a local celebrity and approaching £20,000 was raised as part of a community fundraising campaign for the Georgina Unit which opened in 1998 at Russell’s Hall Hospital, with monies also donated to the children’s ward at Hammersmith Hospital.

She went on to beat the disease and enjoyed 20 years cancer free - inspiring everyone who met her.

For the last few years she had worked with sisters Sarah and Hollie as personal assistants to top level professional footballers at Stourbridge-based Player PA.

Kate, right, with Sister Hollie, mum Judy and sister Sarah

But she began feeling unwell as the country locked down at the start of the coronavirus pandemic last spring and by the summer she learned the leukaemia had returned.

She underwent chemotherapy at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital and remained an inpatient for around three months. She was finally discharged but her condition deteriorated and she was readmitted to hospital before spending her final days in Mary Stevens Hospice where she had been born 47 years earlier when it was a maternity hospital.

Inspired by Kate's lifelong bravery and penchant for charity fundraising, heartbroken friends and family have kept themselves busy by holding a number of fundraisers in her memory - and they have to date raised a whopping £17,000 for Mary Stevens Hospice.

Good friends Jo Kynaston and Annie Poole have both been raising money to keep Kate's legacy alive as has her husband Sam Turner - a horse racing journalist for the Daily Mail - who has been touting for donations from regular listeners to the free weekly podcast he hosts with friend Jonathan Babb offering Cheltenham racing tips. People can donate online here.

A spokesman for Mary Stevens Hospice said there had been an incredible response to the fundraisers and she added: "This is one of the biggest 'in memory' fundraisers the hospice has ever received and just shows how truly loved and adored Kate was by all who knew her.

"All of the donations that have been raised for the hospice in memory of Kate will go towards helping families just like hers in their greatest time of need."

Kate's husband Sam said: "I think we are all humbled and so grateful that folk have been touched by Kate's story and the bravery she displayed and have donated in their masses to a wonderful cause in Mary Steven's Hospice.

"It goes without saying that we all miss Kate dreadfully, but she would love the fact that much-needed funds were being raised in her honour and we, as a family along with our dearest friends, are intent on using her life and the way in which she lived it to the full as an inspiration to continue contributing to charities which are close to our hearts."

He said he and Kate would have celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary this Friday and he added: "We would like to sincerely thank everyone who has contributed in whichever way as we are acutely aware it has been a tough time for a huge majority of people and we aren't the only ones to lose someone precious in that time."

Anyone wishing to add to Sam's fundraising total can still do so online at justgiving.com/fundraising/sam-turner5000.