“I want my work and life to mean something” why Charlie is leaving a gift in her Will

Charlie Hamilton, from Kent, writes about why she’s leaving a gift in her Will for future generations.

“I was incredibly close to my daddy. When he was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2008, I couldn't get my head around the news. I lived abroad at the time, and I would telephone regularly. I could sense he was frightened, but he was trying hard to put on a brave face.

I returned to the UK to be closer to him, and for a while, we really thought he'd fought cancer off. Regrettably, it returned, only this time more severe and to other organs. We rarely spoke of his impending death in that time; he was still joking around until the very end. He died at home on 26 March 2012, aged 61.

I found Bowel Cancer UK when I was looking for a charity to support in my dad's honour. I wanted to support a charity that focused specifically on bowel cancer, because I needed to know my efforts would go towards helping people who suffer from what seems to be one of the least talked about cancers.

I ran a marathon, donated clothes via THRIFT+ and made donations where I could, but I wanted to do more. Leaving a gift in my Will to Bowel Cancer UK just made sense. It’s a beautiful tribute to Dad and my parting gift. I believe in an after-life, so I know I’ll be reunited with my daddy, and this way someone else's daddy can benefit somehow.

I’m 47 now, and I bang on about will-writing a lot, I think it’s a very positive thing to do and not at all morbid. I was surprisingly content choosing where my pennies might go - peaceful in the knowledge that all those years of work will help others.

I always say leaving a gift in your Will is not only for the affluent either, it’s for everyone. I'm not wealthy - I'm a teacher!

I want my work and life to mean something, and this was one small step towards that goal - for Dad - and all the other mummies and daddies who might find themselves in the same situation. No child should ever lose their parent to this awful, all so often treatable, disease.”

Gifts in Wills kindly left by supporters like Charlie are vital in funding our ground-breaking research and support for families affected by bowel cancer.

You can find out more about leaving a gift in your Will here or talk to Sarah, in our Gifts in Wills team, in confidence on sarah.farago@bowelcanceruk.org.uk or 020 7940 1769.

We also offer a free Will writing service you can find out more about here.