A nurse at a charity hospice inspired her daughters to join

- and the family now have nearly 70 years of service between them.

Cheri Deans, 61, began working at the Marie Curie Hospice, Cardiff and the Vale in Penarth nearly 30 years ago.

Her daughters Leaah, 40, and Charlie, 39, regularly visited their mum at work growing up.

Inspired by her commitment and dedication to her patients, in their late teens, both Leaah and Charlie decided to follow in their mum's footsteps and begin working with Marie Curie.

Both Cheri and Leaah are Healthcare Assistants, while Charlie, who began her career at just 19, is now the hospice's Housekeeping Supervisor.

Leaah said: "My mother had worked here, so I'd been back and forth as a teenager, and I liked the end of life ethics."

"I started off as a housekeeper at 17, and then I had a short break. "

"I came back to work on a specialist team that Marie Curie were doing. I worked with end-of-life patients who wanted to go home to die, so we'd nurse them around the clock."

Charlie added: "I joined as a housekeeper when I was around 19 or 20."

"I never had any experience with end of life care before, but I've been here 19 years now and it's a job for life."

Leaah and Charlie soon realised their passion for helping end-of-life patients to feel comfortable and safe during their final days - and mum Cheri says it's the little things that make a big difference.

"I think, as soon as patients come through these doors, it's about making them feel at ease," said Cheri."

"They're often frightened and scared, but once they've been in, they say they wish they'd come earlier."

"I think the best part of the job are the little things that we do that make this place special for patients and relatives."

"Anything we can do that makes this journey easier for them is a privilege to do."

Leaah added: "For me, the best part is that we offer so much more than regular hospitals. "

"If patients want to bring their dog in, they can bring their dog in. They're allowed flowers or to go out to the pier, and we've got a fantastic view of the sunrise from the windows in the hospice. "

"It's the little things that we can do for the patients - even down to the food they eat. "

"We can make sure family members are all together and make sure they have the best end of life care."

Their jobs come with their own set of challenges, but the family say that having relatives that understand the nature of their work helps to get them through tough days.

"It's amazing to work with your family," said Cheri."

"We don't work together a lot - Charlie's in a different department, and a lot of the time, me and Leaah are on opposite shifts, but when we are working together we do get along well. "

"The banter between us and the patients - because they know we're all related - can be really fun as well."

Charlie added: "It's a great support network. If we're having a tough day, it's easy to just go to them to talk."

"Ultimately, we're all here to achieve the same goal for our patients," said Leaah. "

"Even if we are in different departments, we're still here to make their last wishes the best they can be."

Cheri says she couldn't be prouder of her daughters for the work they do - and hopes to continue working in end-of-life care for many years to come.

"They've done many years here, and I'm really proud - they do a great job," she said."

"They're fantastic girls and they're great with the patients - I couldn't ask for better girls. I'm so proud of them."

The family have shared their story as part of Marie Curie's Great Daffodil Appeal, which aims to raise money for their hospices to continue providing vital end-of-life care.

Cheri said: "It's so important for people to donate to keep us going. "

"We're probably one-of-a-kind here, and we do need the support of people. We have great support from our volunteers, but we do need support from fundraising."

"If we didn't get the funding we need, we wouldn't be able to provide the care we give. "

"We'll always give 100 percent as nurses, but we do need the funding for the other things that makes this place special and to keep the place running."

"It can be challenging and it can be upsetting, but it's also a rewarding job. It's a privilege to be there at that time in people's lives."

A representative from Marie Curie said: "There's only one chance to give someone the best possible end of life. This Great Daffodil Appeal, help give people the care they need. "

"To donate visit: Mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil ."