A Carnforth chiropodist has transformed what was meant to be a simple clinic-warming celebration into a powerful fundraising event for local cancer charities, creating a poignant tribute to her late husband who passed away from cancer last year.
Turning Grief into Positive Action
Carol Sedgwick's world was completely devastated when her husband Ian died from stomach and oesophageal cancer in 2023. Like many families facing such profound loss, Carol and her teenage sons found essential strength through the compassionate support, care and counselling provided by vital local charities during their darkest days.
"You have to find ways to carry on, one step at a time," reflected Carol, who made the difficult decision to reduce her working hours to ensure she could be fully present for her sons, James and Joe, who were just 16 and 15 years old when their father passed away.
The Challenge of Cancer During Pandemic Restrictions
The family's journey was made even more challenging by the timing of Ian's diagnosis, which occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic. The additional restrictions and limitations placed extra stress on their treatment and palliative care experience, making the support from local organisations truly "invaluable" according to Carol.
"St John's Hospice were absolutely amazing, particularly the Forget Me Not Centre, which provides such a safe, compassionate environment for families during both care and bereavement," Carol explained. "Lancaster CancerCare's counselling and signposting services were also invaluable. Through their guidance, I discovered John Woodward's Alexander Technique therapy, which genuinely helped me find both ease and equilibrium from the physical and mental stresses my body and mind were experiencing."
A New Beginning with Purpose
As the family gradually began rebuilding their future, qualified chiropodist Carol focused her energy on a significant professional project: completely upgrading her Carnforth home clinic into a fully accessible, modern treatment centre. The renovation was completed last year, and what began as a simple "clinic-warming" event took on much deeper meaning through a remarkable coincidence.
"It was James and Joe who realised the date we'd chosen for the opening coincided with the anniversary of Ian's death," Carol shared. "They suggested: why don't we turn this into a celebration of his memory, which can also raise some money for these amazing local charities that helped us so much?"
A Community Comes Together
Approximately 65 friends, family members and clients attended the special celebration last weekend, sharing heartfelt stories, cherished memories and photographs of Ian, while also admiring Carol's newly renovated clinic facilities where she now practices three days each week. The atmosphere was one of "moving forward with gratitude and positivity" according to attendees.
The fundraising efforts, conducted through generous donations and a successful raffle, have continued well beyond the event itself. "People have been so incredibly generous," said Carol. "Hearing about our story, clients have continued adding to the fund; I've even had local people popping into the clinic with envelopes containing donations! We're currently at £635 to divide equally between St John's Hospice and CancerCare."
Continuing Ian's Legacy
Carol emphasised that the success of the fundraising initiative has been a true community effort. "I couldn't have done this without the love and support of my family and, of course, Susan – my right-hand woman at the clinic," she acknowledged. "We all miss Ian every single day, but we're consciously turning our love and loss into positive steps forward, just as he would have wanted us to do."
The transformed clinic opening stands as a testament to how personal tragedy can be channelled into community benefit, creating meaningful support for organisations that provide essential services to families facing similar challenges throughout the region.
