16/10/2026
📣Supporter Shoutout!
A decade after losing her husband, Jennifer’s five-year-old twin daughters, Annabelle and April, wanted to mark the anniversary of their dad Simon’s passing while raising money for Butterwick Hospice. They came up with the idea of a ‘Twins Triathlon’, taking on a run, bike ride and swim all in one day! 🏃♂️🚴♀️🏊♀️
We spoke with Jennifer about her husband, Simon, the girls’ incredible challenge, and why they chose to support Butterwick Hospice. "Simon was diagnosed with a synovial sarcoma in his knee in 2013 and received intensive chemo, surgery and then radiotherapy. Things were going okay for around a year and we got married, but then scans showed it had returned in his lungs and was inoperable."
“Eventually, Simon’s health deteriorated to a point he required inpatient care, where I was able to stay with him. I will forever be grateful for them allowing us to spend what precious time he had left together. The nurses, care assistants and doctors could not have done more for us. The support did not stop after his death. I received invaluable counselling to help me navigate my grief in the weeks and months after.”
Three years later, Jennifer and Simon’s twin daughters, Annabelle and April, were born through IVF. Although they never had the chance to meet their dad, Jennifer has always made sure they know about him and the special place that cared for him.
To honour Simon’s memory and raise money for Butterwick Hospice, Annabelle and April decided to take on a ‘Twins Triathlon’, completing a run, bike ride and swim all in one day. We asked Jennifer why they chose a triathlon for their fundraising challenge.
“Simon was sporty, so we decided to do a sports-based challenge and couldn’t decide whether to run, swim or bike, so went with all three. They got their cousins on board to join in too, and they were given T-shirts from the fundraising team to wear on the day. They were all really excited to watch the donations come in and the total climb!”
Together, they have raised over £1,500 for Butterwick Hospice!
On behalf of everyone at Butterwick Hospice, we would like to say a huge thank you to Annabelle, April, Jennifer and their family for their amazing fundraising efforts, and to everyone who donated to support them. 💙
👉If you would like to support the twins’ fundraising efforts, you can donate via their just giving page here - https://loom.ly/cEkGFcM
Read Jennifer's full story here - https://loom.ly/WnAs_X4
