For two decades, a dedicated mother-of-five has made an annual sacrifice, leaving her own family festivities to ensure those facing their final Christmas experience comfort, joy, and dignity.
A Christmas Commitment to Compassion
Leaah Deans, 41, has worked at the Marie Curie Hospice in Penarth for the past 20 years. Every single Christmas during that time, she has chosen to work a shift, whether on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or Boxing Day. For her five children, it has simply become the norm. "My children have never known any different," Leaah explains. Her profound motivation is clear: "It is so important to me to make sure our patients have the best possible Christmas. It is sadly, in all likelihood, going to be their last."
The patients at the Marie Curie Hospice, Cardiff and the Vale, are receiving palliative care, meaning the team focuses intensely on improving quality of life and managing symptoms. Leaah's care extends to families and loved ones, acknowledging the ripple effect of a terminal diagnosis. While her husband, Leighton, 43, and older children understand, her youngest, six-year-old Tyler, finds it hard. "Last year was the first that he’d really begun to understand it," she shares, recalling his tears when he realised she wouldn't be there to tuck him in on Christmas Day.
Creating Festive Magic in a Hospice
On the day itself, the entire hospice team strives to create a celebratory atmosphere. Alongside essential medical care and meticulous documentation for their 18 patients, Leaah goes the extra mile. She organises stockings for every bed, crafts handmade paper snowflakes, and decks the halls with ornaments. She also helps patients who wish to create cards or gifts for their families.
"The hospice organises for a Christmas choir and the cast of a local Christmas theatre show to come and sing and meet everyone too," she adds. One poignant memory involves fulfilling a dying father's wish to see the Cardiff Castle Christmas lights. Leaah arranged the outing and adorned his wheelchair with fairy lights. "He passed away not long after Christmas," she notes.
The Emotional Toll and Invaluable Perspective
The work carries a significant emotional weight. While deaths on Christmas Day itself are not common, they happen. "It never gets easier to witness a death," Leaah admits. She often finishes her shift sitting in her car for a private cry. Decompressing at home can be difficult, but her lively household provides a welcome distraction. Last Boxing Day, she returned to find mince pies and a drawing from Tyler, who had sketched a nurse's hat on her head.
Despite two decades of service, she always questions if she has done enough. Yet, this confrontation with mortality has taught her profound gratitude. "I feel so lucky. I have my health and when the day is over I can go back to my family," she reflects. "It wouldn’t feel right to spend all of Christmas at home, knowing there are families facing the hardest, saddest times. I need to do what I can to sprinkle a little Christmas magic."
Marie Curie provides expert care in homes and hospices across the UK throughout the Christmas period. Their free Support Line (0800 090 2309) remains open over the festive season.
