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Nurse Belinda Marks has spent 40 years helping patients die with dignity, offering care, trust, and joy—even planning weddings and farewells at hospice
Trained as a nurse from 1981 to 1984, with experience in gynaecology, oncology, and district nursing, Belinda Marks became an advanced clinical practitioner in 2006. (News18)
Providing medical care alone is never enough; patients on the brink of death also need affection, trust, and compassion. Specialised hospices around the world focus on offering this humane care during people’s final moments. Belinda Marks, a nurse at Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice in West Yorkshire, England, has spent over 40 years helping hundreds of people say goodbye on their own terms.
Fearless In The Face Of Death
At 62 years old, Belinda says simply, “I am not afraid of dying”. Having witnessed many peaceful passings, she finds comfort in the process. “People let you into their lives at a very difficult time”, she explains. “If you can make a small difference, it matters”.
Improving Quality Of Life, Even At The End
For Belinda, it’s about enhancing life’s quality right up to the final moments as joy can still be found, even at the end of life.
Hospices welcome animals like dogs and cats, and sometimes horses are brought to the doorstep so patients can say goodbye. Weddings are arranged when patients wish to marry before passing. These moments of happiness and dignity are central to her work.
Planning For The End With Care And Respect
Belinda works closely with fundraising and wellbeing teams to help patients plan their final days. Discussions include music choices, funeral arrangements, and other wishes.
Trained as a nurse from 1981 to 1984, with experience in gynaecology, oncology, and district nursing, she became an advanced clinical practitioner in 2006.
Building Trust, One Person At A Time
Each day brings new challenges. Some patients aren’t ready to talk, and Belinda respects that: “We never push”. When they are ready, conversations make a real difference. Some wish to die at home, others in hospitals or hospices—Belinda and her team strive to honor these choices.
Visiting patients in their homes, she builds trusting relationships, especially with those facing mental health challenges or isolation, such as dementia sufferers. “It takes time to build trust, but it’s worth it”, she says.
A Personal Impact
Belinda’s work has deeply influenced her own life. She and her husband have prepared their wills and funeral plans, reflecting the thoughtful care she provides others.
- Location :
United Kingdom (UK)
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