Funeral collection helps to boost the funds of the Every Heart Matters appeal

The funeral of a well known farm labourer has helped to boost the funds of the Every Heart Matters appeal.

Over 150 people attended the ceremony held at St Mary’s Church, in Feltwell, near Brandon, for John Jacob, who died aged 84, and lived in the village in St Nicholas Drive.

He was rushed to the West Suffolk Hospital, in Bury St Edmunds, by ambulance from his Norfolk home, suffering from a series of complaints including a heart attack, double pneumonia, fluid on the lungs and kidney failure.

But six days later and despite efforts to keep him alive he passed away.

Daughter Sally Hobbs was full of praise for staff at the hospital who she said treated her father and the family so well.

“They were absolutely marvellous when dad had a short stay in the coronary care unit and they looked after him so well for his last few days,” she said.

So along with his wife and Sally’s 82-year-old mother Shirley and sister Mandy Scott they decided to have the collection at his funeral with a total of £1,000 being raised which will go towards the fund to help raise £500,000 for a new cardiac centre at the West Suffolk Hospital.

“The amount we collected was amazing and it just goes to show how much thought of dad was,” said Sally.

“He loved his family which included both me and Mandy, two grandchildren and four great grandchildren and we all love him too and we were so pleased with the amount that we raised at his funeral.

“We feel it is so important to have the heart unit locally to save patients having to travel further afield,” she added.

If you want to support the Every Heart Matters appeal go to the website www.mywishcharity.co.uk and if you would like to donate to the appeal you can do so by going to: Justgiving.com/ehma or text EHMA17 £10 to 70070.

Pictured above, left to right, are hospital staff Dory Recide and Jane Connor, Sally Hobbs, Shirley Jacob, Mandy Scott, Dr O’Halloran, and hospital staff Teresa Cross and Liza Rodrigueza.