On Saturday 16 November the costs to provide one day of care in the Sir Tom Cowie Day Care Centre have been kindly donated in loving memory of Lauren Barr, on her birthday.
When Dawn could no longer care for her sister, Lauren on her own, there were very few alternatives left. Lauren would always say “as long as Dawn’s with me, that’s all I want”. Lauren was due to move in with Dawn and brother in law, Kerry, however things took a really bad turn, and this was no longer an option.
Dawn said “I’m going to be perfectly honest, when the district nurse said the word hospice, I was utterly devastated having so many pre-conceived ideas of what a hospice was…And God was I wrong. From the minute Lauren arrived the care was unbelievable and I felt like a weight had been lifted.
Lauren went to sleep the minute she arrived in her beautiful room and didn’t wake again, she hadn’t slept in such a long time, and I believe from the bottom of my heart this happened because she finally felt safe.
Lauren was always going to be a hairdresser; her mam knew this at an early age when she found a box hair dye her mam had bought for a neighbour. Lauren managed to open it and pour the purple dye all over her hair which ended in a trip to the hairdressers and her beautiful long hair being cut into a short page boy…
By 15 she was training in Newcastle and in her early twenties opened the hairdressers in Ouston village.
She loved to chat to all her clients and went above and beyond, especially for the elderly, who she regularly dropped off and picked up from their homes.
Lauren went on to have 3 daughters, Milli, Niamh and Brit who were her biggest accomplishment in life…
She has two nieces, Lola and Eve who she loved with all her heart, especially as Lola was born when we were all so young and she became like her second mam.
Lauren also has 2 beautiful little granddaughters, Delilah and Romee…all girls (the Coven) as Milli calls us.
I must also give mention to Teddy, the little dog Kerry bought her to keep her company and he was truly her best friend. Teddy is now being cared for by Lauren’s mam, Sylvia which would have made her so happy.
We would like to take this opportunity to once again thank all the staff and nurses at Willow Burn.”
Dawn and family.
