Singer Moira Stafrace has opened up about what it was like to lose her husband Chris as well as both of her parents in the space of a year. 

Stafrace, who shared her story as part of a funding campaign for Hospice, described how she was able to find inner strength partially because of the help the organisation were able to provide to her and her family in some of their darkest hours. 

Moira and her husband Chris Scicluna represented Malta in the Eurovision Song contest in 1994 with the song More than Love. 

He passed away in February at the age of 62, after having suffered from cancer. 

“I had heard of Hospice as we had performed at a couple of their fundraising events,” Stafrace said. 

“It had never occurred to me that I would need their services at the time, certain things do not occur to you because you never really know what it’s like until it affects your life.” 

She came to know the raft of services that Hospice have to offer after both her mother and Chris began to suffer from cancer. 

“Hospice had helped me from day one with my mum. I needed psychological help through therapy and Hospice found me someone immediately,” she said. 

“She was a sweet woman, very professional, she made me feel comfortable and she helped me very much,” Stafrace said, explaining that it was only recently that she had stopped attending the twice-weekly sessions. 

“Later we also ended up needing Hospice for Chris,” she continued. 

“They provided us with a physiotherapist and a nurse as well as things to make his life more comfortable, like medical cushions, a motorized bed and changing his mattress constantly.”

“When you’re in that situation, Hospice is a breath of fresh air and I think that part of my internal strength was thanks to the people from Hospice who helped me.”

After sharing 28 years of love, tears, laughter and music together, Moira said that in his final months, she and Chris grew closer together than they ever had before. 

“It was a different kind of love,” she said. 

“When you take care of someone who's sick and you’re feeling all their pain I think you discover unconditional love. We prayed together, I became much closer to God, so much so that Chris was no longer afraid of death.”

“I lost three pillars in my life in the space of a year, it's not easy,” she continued. 

“I had every reason to abandon God and blame him for what happened, but I didn’t, I think the opposite happened in fact."

Throughout this difficult experience, Moira said the support Hospice offered really helped her to get through it all.

“When cancer touches your life, their help is priceless,” she said. 

“From our experience, I never expected what they were able to offer us. It’s fantastic and extraordinary the amount of help they provide for free and at the drop of a hat.”

Hospice is currently raising funds to complete the St Michael’s Hospice in Santa Venera. Formerly the Adelaide Cini Institute, the building was given to Hospice by the Church in 2019 and structural works were completed at the end of last year.

Hospice Malta will be running a fundraising telethon on Sunday on all Maltese television stations to continue fundraising. 

Donations to Hospice Malta can be made as follows: 

€25 - Call 51802024 

€50 - Call 51902031 

€11.65 - Send an SMS to 50619234

BOV Mobile - 79933894

Pledge - Call 21220011

Or online through hospicemalta.org

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