A much-loved palliative care worker from Southport who is much-loved by the families she cares for and by her own family has won the Sefton Unsung Hero Award sponsored by Fletchers Solicitors.
Andrea McGee had been looking forward to the retirement of her husband, Neil, an HGV driver who worked six days a week. The couple had planned to buy a motor home and finally start getting out.
Tragically Neil developed lung cancer as he was cared for day and night by his wife.
Since then Andrea has returned to work as a palliative night sitter, where she is much loved by the families she supports.
She is also a much-loved grandmother in her own family.
She was presented with her Sefton Unsung Hero Award by Fiona Swarbrick, the Associate Solicitor & Head of Clinical Negligence at Fletchers Solicitors, at the Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards at The Grand in Southport.
Andrea’s daughter, Heather McGee, said: “There aren’t the words to express what she’s able to do”.
Heather said: “I am nominating my Mum (Andrea McGee) for this award because she absolutely is a hero and I feel like this is fate me just seeing this because one of the things I have said the most to her over the last 24 months is that I don’t know how she does it and “If there was an award I knew of and could put her up for I would do it!”
“On December 4th it marked the 2 year anniversary since my Dad Neil Died from lung cancer. “He’d had a mini stroke and there were signs but we thought that they were due to his stroke. “He’d recently had some tests done and at the worst we were bracing ourselves for being told that he had COPD. The doctor told them it was lung cancer.
“This appointment was on the Wednesday and on the Friday he attended an appointment for a brain scan and they confirmed that it had spread to his brain.
“The following Wednesday was his 69th Birthday and like every year I did his Moonpig cards one from me to him and one from my two little boys who were one and three at the time. I knew they would be the last ones I’d ever do for him.
“I was also 6 months pregnant at the time with my daughter who Dad has never got to meet.
The day after my Dads Birthday we drove him and my Mum to a further house spiral appointment and they told him the cancer was also in his liver.
“It was horrendous and more so because they had stayed strong and hopeful that he could have a lung biopsy and might be able to have treatment.
“My Dad only lived for another 12 days after that. He deteriorated so rapidly.
“Gone forever after only 19 days of being diagnosed! My Mum nursed my Dad all day and all night and he died in agony with her at his side looking straight into his eyes!
“We had been a HGV driver for 20 years and 6 nights a week EVERY WEEK he drove in all weathers to Newcastle and Middlesbrough delivering fruit & veg. He was just about to retire and they’d made plans.
“They’d planned to buy a motor home and finally start getting out.
“But not only that, her job role was / is a palliative night sitter and she only had 6 months off work and then went straight back and to the palliative night sitting 3 and 4 nights a week!!
“All of the people she cares for it’s “end of life care” and they either have a form of terminal cancer (there have been 3 very similar cases to my Dad) or a brain tumor or they are people who are paralyzed from the neck down.
“But the one thing that these people all have in common is that they absolutely LOVE my Mum and so do their families! She is an agony aunt to them all and to know that in these situations that seem so hopeless because the person is definitely going to die my Mum manages to gel with them and bring a smile to their faces and lift them up and I just think it’s absolutely priceless.
“There aren’t the words to express what she’s able to do. Some of these shifts are very hard indeed and to also know that she goes off to get the bus to these shifts to give herself to these patients and also to their families with her own heart broken over my Dad makes her nothing short of a hero.
“I honestly don’t know how she does it! She is also round at my house during the day (nearly every single day) helping me with her two little Grandsons and also Granddaughter as well. I always thought my Dad was the strong one out of those two but my Mum just blows me away every single day.
“I could not be any prouder of my Mum and the strength and courage she shows every single day.
“She needs to know how appreciated she is and a light and inspiration to so many people!
“I love my Mum and want her to know how valued she really is.”
The 2026 Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards celebrated selfless, talented and courageous people across 13 categories at The Grand in Southport on 24th April 2026.
The Main Award was won by Queenscourt Hospice founder Dr Karen Groves MBE.
The evening was hosted by former Sky Sports News presenter Fraser Dainton with VIP guests including HM Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside Peter Oliver OBE and Mayor of Sefton Cllr Burns.
Funds were raised on the night for the ICU Steps charity, which supports patients in intensive care and their families.
The Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards are organised by Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Group and Stand Up For Southport in association with media partners In Demand Radio with support from Southport BID.
There are 13 categories including Child of Courage, School Of The Year, Community Impact, Charity Champion and more, plus the Main Award.
Next year’s event takes place on Friday 30th April 2027.
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