Page 7 - Autunm newsletter 2024
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It was all extremely overwhelming All the nurses and final days and the legacy he
at the beginning. Being told Dad carers loved him! He was wanted to leave. He was very clear
had stage 4 cancer was so charming and cheeky that he wanted to be at home at
completely unexpected - he was the end, so once he returned
diagnosed in January this year with them, even with home from the hospice in March,
and spent four weeks in hospital. everything he was going we were focused on making sure
In February we were told there through. he was comfortable and calm.
was nothing more they could do, He died in his sleep on 8 April,
th
so it all happened very fast. Initially we were having more aged 75.
good days than bad, but he
It was Dad’s wish to be at home started to feel more unwell and He was also very adamant about
in Fulwood with his family, and unsettled. He’d always had a real which Hindu customs and
we believe that’s what kept his zest for life – he was a true family traditions he wanted us to observe
positivity going. But once we got man with a passion for badminton, at his funeral, and he asked for
back from hospital we were faced and he was forever the donations to go to St Catherine’s
with bags of medication and the entertainer, always the first on the and Marie Curie. It gave us peace
prospect of caring for him for dancefloor! He’d always been a of mind that we were able to
ourselves, and we honestly foodie and a bit of a tech geek as honour his wishes.
thought ‘what have we done?’. well, but he wasn’t interested in his
It was so good to have him home, gadgets anymore and he wasn’t It brings us some comfort
but it was very daunting. We eating much, and it was difficult knowing that we can stay
didn’t want to get anything wrong. for us to see him like that. connected with the charity that
helped us so much when we
We relied on the St Catherine’s That’s when our CNS broached needed it, giving something back
advice line a lot – someone was the subject of the hospice. We to help others through
always at the other end of the thought it meant he would spend fundraising and volunteering.
phone no matter what time of day his final days there, but she
or night we called, to answer any explained that he could go in for a We experienced first-hand how
questions and reassure us. short time for pain management. much it means to have such
This made a real difference to his compassionate care and support
We also had our St Catherine’s quality of life. not just for the individual, but for
Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS), the whole family, and we will be
who worked with the District He was cared for on the inpatient forever thankful for that.
Nurses, and we had support from unit for two weeks, and that time ’ Chauhan
Marie Curie and Primary Care actually gave us the chance to talk
24/7 too. with Dad about his wishes for his
Total St Catherine’s
Donations Lottery Join the lottery
each year raise... £788k each year raises...£400k stcatherines.co.uk/lottery
£59k t. 01772 695298
comes from
Regular Giving Become a Regular Giver
supporters who
contribute by stcatherines.co.uk/donate
direct debit t. 01772 629171
annually...
...enough to cover the cost of the ...which covers the cost of caring
hospice’s electricity for the year. for 1 in every 19 of our patients.
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