LIENE Pastore, 49, who is battling cancer, was recently told her condition is incurable.

She was shocked when she discovered four weeks ago that her cancer had spread much faster than expected and that she had only weeks to live.

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After receiving the news, Liene from Watford, Hertfordshire, decided it was time to move out of her home with her husband and five-year-old son and into a supported home.

Her GP helped her transfer to Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care, where the staff made one of her dreams come true.

One of the doctors at the home asked Liene if she wanted to do something special, and she suggested a trip to the zoo.

Shortly afterwards, Liene, her husband and their son Noah were treated to a VIP visit to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire.

She said: “My husband was taking care of me at home, but the situation was not good.

“My body was very weak, but my son wanted me to go out with him and play.

“When my GP suggested transferring me to the inpatient care unit at Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care, I knew straight away that this was the right place for us.”

Liene said that the visit to the zoo was well organised and that they were even allowed to feed the giraffes, elephants and lemurs.

She said: “Noah saw all these big animals – he was so overwhelmed and so happy. He was able to feed the giraffes a big willow branch.

“He was almost wrestling with the giraffe when it pulled on the huge branch. It was so funny.

“Noah loves elephants. They are his favorite animals. He was so excited to see them.

“It was Nice to see how happy he was when he saw the newborn elephant.

“It was a really wonderful day. I am so grateful to the hospice for arranging that for us.”

Ellie Grant, a nurse in Liene’s clinical care unit, says the visit to the zoo is exactly what Rennie Grove Peace is all about: helping people live well, enjoy the things they still enjoy and move through life in a way that feels comfortable, fun and safe.

She said: “We love being able to help families create meaningful, loving and long-lasting memories that are personal to them.”

Another last wish of Liene is to raise money so that other people can receive the same care and support that she received at Rennie Grove Peace.

Liene said: “The kindness here at Rennie Grove Peace has given me a mental boost. My body is giving me a lot of problems, but spiritually and mentally I feel strong at the moment.

How do you tell your children you have cancer?

Emma Campbell had to tell her children she had cancer

The mother of four was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. She was 39 and her triplets were just six months old, too young to realize what was happening.

But her oldest son Jake was almost seven and she had to think about the best way to tell him that Mom was sick.

She said: “I had only just begun to process the news myself and felt my heart breaking as I mentally rehearsed how I would start a conversation that could change my beautiful boy’s childhood forever.

“I was searching online and came across a book, ‘Mummy’s Lump’ by Gillian Forrest.

“It seemed to strike the perfect balance between being reassuring, using non-scary language, and at the same time being practical and informative.”

One day after school, Emma sat down with Jake, placed the book in front of them, and began reading the words on the pages aloud.

She said she looked worried and sad, that she had a lump in her breast and that she had to take strong medication to make the lump go away, and that the medication also made her lose her hair.

Jake’s response was, “Okay, Mom. Can I have a cookie?”

Emma said: “One of the many magical things about being a child is the ability to absorb, adapt and live in the moment.

“In his little world, he knew he would still get all the hugs, warmth, food, ‘I love yous,’ his routine would continue, and that was what mattered. My relief was palpable.”

“I just love life. Just life. Hearing the birds sing, looking at the garden, seeing flowers. I can enjoy everything. So I think that’s the reason I’m still here.”

She added: “Everyone I’ve met here shows kindness. People do it with love, from the heart.

“Staff and volunteers also have time to care. They can sit down and spend some time talking. That is different from my experience in hospitals.”

Liene was shocked to discover that the hospice receives only 14 percent of its funding from the government, with the rest being raised through the generosity of the community.

She immediately decided to raise money and organised a 10-mile charity walk, which was attended by more than 25 people earlier this month.

So far they’ve raised £4,803 of their £5,500 target, but donations can still be made here.

Director of Fundraising Tracey Hancock said: “Liene’s wish is to raise money for Rennie Grove Peace so she can give something back while she is being cared for in our inpatient unit.

“We are calling on everyone in the community to give what they can and help Liene achieve her wishes by raising money so that more patients can receive our care.”

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