SOUTH COAST HOSPICE – LAUNCHES THE KINGFISHER PROJECT
Receiving bad news, is never pleasant, and when you have been told that your loved one has cancer it’s common to have many emotions all at once. The one thing that is sure is that life as we knew it, would never be the same. The journey on a roller coaster had just ‘begun’.
One of the most important calls we made, was to South Coast Hospice, this was done with a certain amount of reserve as both my husband and I were under the impression that calling on a Hospice for assistance would be admitting that we were in fact giving up.
We were so wrong, for to offer pain and symptom control to a loved one is an act of compassion and it was with this that my husband came into Kingfisher House for his first visit.
Now my husband Jim was a manly man, who found it extremely difficult to show weakness of any kind. He was immediately made comfortable and was treated with care and dignity throughout the entire stay.
As a wife, I felt the weight of this burden easing, as I knew and trusted the quality of the care he was given. What was very noticeable, was the comfort of a compassionate touch bringing tears to both his and my own. We had the privilege of spending time together unheeded by the restrictions on what is acceptable by the world. It gave us a space that we could share our feelings unhindered, without pride and with a great deal of humility.
With time and guidance from this fantastic team, I learnt about the privilege of caring for a loved one, of being totally present in the moment. When the bright morning came upon us, his passing, although heart breaking allowed me to have some peace. I will forever hold dear the warm hand of Sr. Irene on my shoulder and her kind voice, saying: “What a sterling job, Diane, a job well done.”
The journeys that patients take with their families and South Coast Hospice, is like a voyage. At times it is extremely stormy and, on some days, it is smooth sailing. Over the 37 years, we have travelled with precious cargo.
This pandemic is having a catastrophic effect on our ability to fundraise.
The Hospice crew have pledged that they themselves will make significant sacrifices in order to survive.
It is with this intent that we have launched The Kingfisher Project and through BT King’s hardworking efforts we hope to raise the funds to continue to provide much needed care and support to vulnerable people with life-limiting illnesses.
"We are sailing, we are sailing, Home again, 'Cross the sea, we are sailing, Stormy waters to be near you, to be free." - Rod Stewart
SERVICES OFFERED ≈ Home Care ≈ Inpatient Unit ≈ Doctors Consultations ≈ Cancer Screening ≈ Psychological Counselling ≈ Social Services ≈ Support Groups ≈ Chronic Medicines Distribution ≈ Adherence Support ≈ Training ≈ Mobile Clinic Services ≈
