Unseen Paths: Beyond the Hospice Doors

How do you deal with the news your Mother has terminal cancer? Unseen Paths is a love letter written by Philip Jackson to his past, present and future family as the very base of his life is shredded by this immediate and devastating news. It follows both familiar and new paths he, his sister Claire and their families must travel to manage this new situation. Describing the care process from G.P. to hospital, hospice, care homes and funeral arrangements. As they watch their Mother deal with her diagnosis calmly and gracefully, they share their observations, experiences, advice and hopes in an attempt to capture a time that reshaped their lives in a way they hadn't dared think about. The story is mainly set around Oxford and Oxfordshire, it draws on the imagery of the places they pass through and the experiences they have, both good and bad, as events unfold. It is both a memoir for those involved in this particular tragedy but it is hoped that it is there as a guide, as an understanding arm around the shoulder to those who have been or are going through similar times of their own.