All care is free, and it is dependent almost entirely on voluntary donations. And those who've had celebrations since she died, like wedding anniversaries, have pleaded for no presents, but instead for donations to Edenhall. People are unbelievably kind when they've seen how much something matters. Nina Fraser, Edenhall's clinical services manager, told me last week that it's a constant battle, moneywise. Cancer's still often unmentionable.
Death remains, in every sense, the last taboo.
And relatively small things often have to take low priority. Specialist mattresses are a real problem right now. Life instantly becomes nicer for them, and nursing time is freed up too. However much I worried, I never dreamt my beloved mum would need that kind of nursing time. But I'm indebted to those who provided it for her.