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A Bradford woman has praised a hospice for how it made her feel able to be a wife again after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Sally Nicholson and Hiedi Stoakes, from Bradford, met in
August 2015 but just six weeks later, Sally, known as Sal, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She recovered but the cancer returned in 2020 and she was given just a few weeks to live. During
the final days of her life, Sal was cared for at the Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice in Oxenhope. Hiedi has said the time Sal spent in the hospice was a gift. She said: "From the minute we
walked in, I felt like I could breathe. I could finally be Sal’s wife again instead of just her carer." Hiedi stayed by Sal's side throughout and the pair married just two days
after they were told there was nothing that could be done to save her. They married at their registry office in January 2021. Hiedi said: "In January 2021, Sal was told she had
approximately six weeks to live. The next day, we went to the registry office, and the following day, we got married. My memories of the day were mixed; it was happiness that we were getting
married, but getting Sal through the day was tough." Sal started immunotherapy, and incredibly, it started to work straight away, although it wasn't enough to save her life. Hiedi
remembers: "It was like a new lease of life. Sal didn’t have a bucket list. She said she just wanted to fall in love for the first time, real true love, and that’s what I felt we had.
I could be completely myself with Sal." And throughout the trauma and dark days, as well as the happy ones, the hospice nurses' support never waivered - even organising for the
couple to have a double bed so they could hold each other. She said: "Sal had a single bed and I had a reclining chair, an arrangement that felt challenging for us. A dedicated team of
nurses arranged a double bed so I could sleep beside Sal and hold her hand. At no point did I feel that just because we were a same sex couple that our relationship meant any less than any
other; we couldn’t have been treated any better." On August 31, 2023, Sal died aged 53. Since then, Hiedi has dedicated a silver-coloured leaf with Sal's name engraved on the Sue
Ryder Manorlands Hospice Memory Tree. Hiedi said: "Sal and I had come across the Memory Tree during our time together in the hospice gardens, and we both thought it was such a beautiful
idea. The Memory Tree, set in such a peaceful and beautiful location, gives everyone a place to go to and remember Sal." The Sue Ryder Hospice launched a Rainbow Badge Scheme in 2023,
which trains its team in LGBTQ+ "identities, terminology and allyship". A total of 1,775 staff members have completed their Rainbow Badge so far. They add that this year the
hospice is embracing the Pride Month theme 'equality without exception' and they encourage people in West Yorkshire to join them at York Pride on June 7 and at Leeds Pride on July
20. Jayde Newman-Jones, Inclusion, Diversity, and Wellbeing Manager at Sue Ryder, said: "The evidence that LGBTQ+ people have disproportionately worse health outcomes is compelling and
consistent. At Sue Ryder, we are committed to providing expert, compassionate care to all individuals while visibly standing with the LGBTQ+ community. Joining a Pride march is an important
step in continuing this work." _GET ALL THE LATEST AND BREAKING BRADFORD NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX BY __SIGNING UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE._