A ST ROCCO'S patient has spoken out about how the hospice carers gave her hope during her illness.

Doris Dunn, of Blackburne Close, Paddington, was diagnosed as having cancer in 1980 after finding a lump in her breast, she was given treatment and thought that that would be the end of it.

But then medics discovered the cancer had returned, this time in her spine.

"I was never ill," said Doris, "but then I found the breast lump.

"I was treated at Clatterbridge and Warrington Hospital and I was clear for seven years, but then I got a pain in my back. I thought it was nothing, but a scan showed cancer."

Doris first encountered St Rocco's in February 1997. She was admitted to the hospice so her condition could be stabilised.

She wasn't keen on the idea of going in to a hospice at first, but was soon pleasantly surprised.

"It's like a hotel," she said.

"It's fantastic. They are the best bunch of nurses. They are very professional and have a laugh and a joke."

Doris is now in remission and visits the hospice as a day patient, a service which will be available to many more patients when the new hospice opens.

"It really helps to be able to share your experiences with people who know what you are going through."

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