Artist who had weeks to live gives back to hospice

A sculptor who was told she had weeks to live has given back to the hospice that helped care for her for its 40th anniversary.

Kate Denton from Lavenham, Suffolk was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2011 and given just 12 weeks to live.

She was supported by St Nicholas Hospice Care in Bury St Edmunds and said she had "so much to be grateful to them for".

To thank the hospice as it marks its anniversary, Ms Denton created a sculpture called Because You Matter - the hospice's motto - that has now been unveiled.

“I wanted to contribute to the anniversary events for St Nic’s as I have great reason to be very thankful to them," Ms Denton explained.

"In 2011 I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and on Christmas Eve of that year was told I only had 12 weeks to live."

Hospice staff managed Ms Denton's pain relief and helped her face her diagnosis.

"They kept me lucid enough that I could manage my children and their emotions, sourced equipment that would make me more comfortable, and reassured my husband as to how he was coping with a situation that was way removed from anything he had experienced before," she added.

Thanks to "extraordinary surgeons" at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridgeshire, Ms Denton recovered.

However she said it was "also due to the physical and pastoral care I received from St Nic's at an extraordinarily difficult time for both me and my family when I was facing my expected rapidly approaching death".

Ms Denton is a prominent sculptor and her works are held in private collections across the world.

The Because You Matter sculpture has been unveiled at St Edmundsbury Cathedral.

It will be displayed there until 12 May when a service of thanks and remembrance is held.

After this it will be auctioned to raise funds for the hospice at a gala dinner in October.

It has been given the name Because You Matter as this is the hospice's motto, which it says "reflects its mission to help all those that are facing the end of life, together with their families, to continue to live a full life until the end".

It has been made of fiberglass with iron filings to give it a rusty colour.

It depicts a male sitting, as he is no longer able to stand, and is being helped up to a higher level by a female holding his outstretched hands in both of hers.

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