Two-year-old Oscar's mile-long walk in memory of beloved dad

It was smiles all around on Easter Friday when two-year-old Oscar Peachey took his little legs for a wander along the Prom in memory of his dad, Chris, who died after a three-year battle with cancer in April last year.

With his mum Lisa and family and friends in tow, little Oscar did his dad proud as he walked the distance with a smile on his face and tangerine balloon in hand, a touching tribute to his dad’s love of Blackpool FC.

Chris Peachy was just 38 when he passed away at Trinity Hospice in Bispham from oesophageal cancer.

At home, Lisa had cared for her husband around the clock throughout his illness, but Trinity Hospice invited the couple to stay with them when his condition began to deteriorate.

Chris was in the hospice for five days before he passed away with his wife by his side and the comfort and support provided by the nurses has left a lasting impression on Lisa.

Since her husband’s death, the 38-year-old mum and her family have wanted to share their appreciation for the hospice and its staff, and they have taken part in a number of fundraisers to support its good work.

Lisa said Oscar’s walk, which raised an incredible £500, was a way for the toddler to get involved whilst also paying his own special tribute to his beloved dad.

She said: “Chris was in the hospice for five days. That might not seem like a long time, but in those moments, it was a lifetime.

“I’d been caring for him – doing everything for him – for five months. For those five days, I was his wife again. We could finally cherish our moments together, knowing they were limited.

“Chris had been reluctant to get the hospice involved because he worried it was accepting it was the end. But I was giving him so much care, I got to the point where I simply couldn’t do it anymore on my own.

“I was surviving on four hours of broken sleep, and Chris was in so much pain.

"I don’t think people really understand how much the hospice staff do. It’s not just the palliative care side of things, it’s everything. They were my rock.

"For so long, I hadn’t been able to be Chris’s wife or spend any quality time with him. We knew the end was close and what we were facing, so those five days were so important to us both.

"They gave us the gift of quality time together, those precious last days where I didn’t have to be completely physically and mentally, as well as emotionally, exhausted.

“We have a lot to thank Trinity Hospice for. Oscar’s walk on behalf of his dad has helped raise £500 and we know it will mean so much to the hospice.

"And it will be something Oscar can look back on when he’s older, his own meaningful tribute to his dad.”