THE news that you or a loved one is fighting a terrible illness can leave you feeling devastated and isolated.

Thousands of terrifying questions suddenly raise their head. The first is – how do you cope?

Thankfully, for more than 4,000 people in the county, our hospices are there for them.

Oxfordshire has a great history of hospice care – Helen House was the first in the world for children and was followed by Douglas House in 2004.

With Sobell House, Sue Ryder Nettlebed Hospice and Katharine House, they provide vital support in some of our darkest times.

They do some of the finest work in Oxfordshire heavily supported by volunteers giving up their own time to do so.

But nothing can convey this more than the testimonies of the people they serve.

Not only do our hospices bring people in similar situations together establishing firm friendships when they are most needed but expert staff treat people as individuals.

But after enduring a conveyor-belt of tests and scans, their attention to detail can make a world of difference.

Our hospices, which rely on charity fundraising, have done so much to support us. Now, in National Hospice Care Week, it is our turn to support them.