Father And Daughter Raise Money For Worthing Hospice With Challenge In Memory Of Beloved Sarah

Tuesday, 1 March 2022 09:00

By Dominic Kureen @WriteOnDom

A father-daughter duo have raised £4,000 for a hospice close to their hearts.

Throughout 2021, James Horley, 48, from Worthing, and his ten-year-old daughter, Martha, took a monthly dip in the sea to raise money for St Barnabas House.

The hospice cared for beloved wife and mum, Sarah, who died there in 2020.

The idea came from Martha, who inherited her love for swimming from her Mum.

James said:

“Sarah and Martha shared a love for water and being at the beach, which is why this challenge was so personal to us.

“In the Summer of 2020, Martha said ‘wouldn’t it be great if we swam in the sea every month for a whole year?’ I didn’t think much of it.

"Then 31 January 2021 came, and Martha said, ‘if we are going to swim once a month for the whole year, we need to do it today' — trust her to remember!"

Throughout last year, the father and daughter braved all seasons and went for a swim in the sea every month.

Sarah and James

James added:

“Whenever the weather was rubbish and Martha wasn’t sure if she wanted to go in the sea, we would have a chat about St Barnabas and what they did for Sarah at our most difficult time, and it would always inspire her to do the swim.”

Sarah’s story

In January 2014, Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer and in 2019, the family were enjoying a sunny holiday in Corfu, with Sarah generally feeling under the weather and fatigued.

Sarah and Martha in Corfu

After thorough investigations upon their return, the family received the devastating news that Sarah’s cancer had returned, and she had tumours on her spine and liver — Sarah was told she only had a few more years to live but she was determined to beat the prognosis she was given.

“Martha was only eight years old at the time,” says James. “We were always honest with her. We told her that Mummy was very poorly, and her cancer couldn’t be cured, but with the help of the doctors, we could manage it with medication.”

On 15 February 2020, Sarah died at St Barnabas House at the age of 48.

James and Martha have raised an incredible £4,000 for St Barnabas House from their monthly swims and donations can be made via their JustGiving fundraising page.