A FAMILY marked the 30th birthday of their late son and brother by raising funds to pay for a day of care at a hospice.

Craig Maton was admitted to the Marie Curie Cardiff and the Vale Hospice in 2015, three weeks after he received the devastating diagnosis of terminal cancer.

He spent his final days in the hospice.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” said his sister Tracey Maton.

“The unknown was frightening and overwhelming, but the staff cared for all of us and the hospice became home.

“We celebrated Craig’s 26th birthday there, making the most of our precious time left together.”

The family spent 16 days with Craig at the hospice.

Following Craig’s death, and upon hearing that the service costs the charity more than £8,000 a day to run, the Maton family decided to try to raise enough funds for the hospice’s Pay for a Day fundraising scheme.

They took on multiple challenges to raise the funds needed for the hospice. Some set about fundraising by hosting family parties, while some ran the Cardiff Half Marathon in 2018.

The family marked what would have been Craig’s 30th birthday on April 5, by paying for the hospice’s services for the day.

“We will be eternally grateful to the amazing staff for providing us with the opportunity to make the most of the precious time we had left together,” said Ms Maton.

While 30 of Craig’s family visited the hospice during the afternoon, the family then continued to mark the day with a gathering at their home with even more friends and family to remember Craig.

The Penarth-based hospice helps provides round-the-clock expert care and support to people living with a terminal illness, and to their families.

To find out more about how you can raise funds for the Marie Curie Cardiff and the Vale Hospice, visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/getinvolved.