A charity rugby match played in memory of local rugby player, Nick Morgan who lost his battle with cancer, has raised over £4,000 for Pilgrim Hospital, Boston.
The event, organised by Nick’s wife, Leanne and son Lewis, who came up with the idea, raised a total of £9,274. This was split evenly between United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity and Macmillan Cancer Support.
In January 2022, Nick, from Holton Holgate, near Spilsby was diagnosed with stage four oesophageal cancer and sadly died in October 2024, aged just 44.
Leanne and Lewis held the memorial match to say thank you for the wonderful care Nick received on the Bostonian Ward at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston.
Leanne said: “Nick was told he had just 6-9 months to live but thanks to the dedicated care and treatment from all the staff on the ward and the Macmillan nurses he lived for three years. We will be forever grateful to everyone who looked after him.
“He spent a lot of time on that ward, having stents fitted and replaced to help him swallow. But one thing that annoyed him was that he did not have his own remote control for the light by his bed so had to share with other patients which meant he was often calling nurses to help him turn the light off! He decided to raise enough money to provide every bed in the ward with a remote light control.”
Nick was always into rugby both as a player and coach and trained the Market Rasen junior team where his son played. Nick played for Skegness Rugby Club and in January 2022 both father and son played together for the club. It was a very special game for not only was it the only time they played together, but also the last game Nick ever played.
When Nick died, Leanne and Lewis were determined to honour his wish and called on all the players Nick had coached to join friends and create their own team, The Vikings, to challenge his beloved club at Skegness to a charity match. The Vikings won! An indication perhaps of his skill and dedication in being an excellent coach.
Charity Fundraiser from United Lincolnshire Hospital Charity, Connor Hill, said: “We are grateful to everyone who participated in the event and raised such a fantastic amount. This gift means we can purchase extra remote controls for the lights for all the beds in the Bostonian ward as well as additional equipment including a blood warmer and drip stands to aid clinicians treating patients.
“United Lincolnshire Hospital Charity strives to make a real difference everyday by providing the county’s hospitals with around £1 million worth of additional equipment, services and amenities for patients, their families and the hospital staff. But it can only do this with the support of people like Leanne and Lewis.”
More information on how you can support work of the charity can be found on their website: ulhcharity.org.uk
