ANYONE who has seen at firsthand the work of Marie Curie nurses and other hospice staff will know what a difference it can make to end of life care.

But the charity offers so much more than medical and practical care. A range of services, including manicures, horticultural activities, music sessions and reminiscence therapy helps to boost the quality of life for terminally ill people.

This month Marie Curie’s largest annual fundraising campaign - the Great Daffodil Appeal - has been gaining momentum, with volunteers out in force on street collections. Volunteering just two hours to give out daffodil pins in return for a donation can help Marie Curie Nurses care for people in their own homes and at Bradford's Marie Curie Hospice.

Eunice Belfield, from Odsal, is a longterm supporter of the Great Daffodil Appeal, helping with street collections across the district. It was when her mum was suffering from cancer of the oesophagus, in 2004, that Eunice decided to become a Marie Curie nurse.

“During Mum’s illness I realised there was a huge demand for emotional and practical support for patients and their families, so I pledged that when the time was right I would look into becoming a nurse," says Eunice. "To this day, I have never looked back. It’s such a worthy cause and I get an immense amount of job satisfaction. Caring for patients at such a difficult time in their lives is so rewarding. I’ve met some amazing people along the way, and often keep in touch with family members.”

Eunice covers the Bradford and Airedale area. Two nights a week she provides care for patients with terminal illnesses including cancer, Motor Neurone Disease, heart failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and offers vital support to their families. When most of us have returned from work and are relaxing in the evening, Eunice’s job begins. At 8pm she telephones her patient to confirm the visit and catches up on emails. She usually heads out at 9pm to arrive at her patient’s home for the night shift from 10pm until 7am.

“No two nights are the same, even when caring for the same person over a period of time," says Eunice. "My priority is to ensure my patient is comfortable and as pain-free as possible throughout the night as well as offering reassurance and emotional support both for them and their families. My visits always begin with a handshake but end with a hug.

“Recently I cared for a lady at home in her final hours with her husband and 14-year old daughter by my side. I washed her, gave her a change of clothing and brushed her hair. Her daughter asked if I could apply make-up and perfume as her mum had always taken great pride in her appearance. I encouraged the daughter to do it herself as she would know better than me how much perfume her mum liked to wear, she gained great comfort from that. It’s sharing these treasured final moments that make the job so worthwhile.”

Adds Eunice: “Before Christmas, I looked after a patient who’d suffered a stroke and had cancer. She slept for much of the night but woke about 2am. She knew what she wanted to say but struggled to speak; I eventually grasped that she wanted to play dominoes, a favoured pastime, which we did until 4.45am. It was remarkable to see her face light up during the darkest of hours. Tea, biscuits and mince pies followed, before she settled back to sleep at 6am.”

Eunice returns home around 8am and provides the District Nursing Team and Marie Curie Referral Centre with details of any changes in her patient’s condition. To wind down after a night shift she walks her beloved golden retriever, Holly.

As Eunice knows, simple pleasures such as make-up and dominoes can be a great comfort. Bradford's Marie Curie Hospice offers a range of complementary therapies to patients, families and carers - they include reiki, aromatherapy massage and reflexology -currently delivered by volunteers, but the charity hopes to get some Bradford College students involved.

Volunteers also offer hand and arm massages, manicures, hairdressing, horticultural therapy, art classes and music therapy, and external groups come in to entertain.

"We had a male voice choir in last week," says Bradford Marie Curie Hospice lead nurse Nicola Denbow. "Patients and families benefit from experiencing a range of alternative therapies while at the hospice.

"These opportunities enhance their hospice experience, offering emotional and psychological support, in a calm environment. The treatments complement the medical aspects of treatment and help to relax patients and their families.”

Other services are: fatigue management, managed by the hospice's occupational therapist and physiotherapist; breathing management, including anxiety management, managed by the physio; reminiscence therapy, exercise therapy, including an EXTEND music chair-based exercise class and neurological focussed exercise classes. The hospice also has a MOTORMED, a movement therapy system.

Also on offer is reminiscence therapy, which involves putting together a electronic memory book, called My Life.

* Daffodil pins are available from volunteers, Superdrug, Spar and Poundworld stores, and Wyevale Garden Centres. Call 0800 304 7025 or visit mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil