As the Medical Director of your local hospice, Tōtara Hospice | Te Kahu Pairuri o Tōtara, I don’t often write letters to the public.
That’s because I spend my days helping to improve our patient’s quality of life, and death.
I want to share a recent heartwarming story that has deeply moved me. It's about Shane and his three final wishes as he approached the end of his journey.
Shane was told his time was short. He had asked how long he had left but couldn’t recall getting a clear answer. He had three wishes he wanted to fulfil in the time he had left; grass underfoot, the taste of green apple, and to eat an ice-block.
The ice-block would be easy, we had plenty of ice-blocks as our patients may have swallowing difficulties and good old lemonade ice-blocks can be most refreshing.
I asked if our kitchen had green apples. No - this was not something that patients usually ate. Too hard to chew for some people and too sour for most people. I asked the universe for green apples. The universe provided me with five of the best from our local grocer.
I dropped off four apples to our kitchen staff.
“Could you make an icy treat with these apples?”
“Sure, I’ll blend them with ice.”
I went off to be the teacher’s pet. Giving our patient the fifth apple I then left the room as he was busy with another clinician. I walked down the corridor and there was Chef holding a glass jar which contained bright green icy slush.
I presented our patient with the drink. As he sucked on the straw the look on his face was pure pleasure, “Ahh, that’s good.”
Grass underfoot was going to be a bit more challenging. His mobility had worsened as he had become weaker. Stuck in bed for weeks. Stuck inside, breathing conditioned air. His only view of the outside through a window. The first day with us he was too tired to do anything.
Could he be hoisted into a wheelchair? Could we push his bed out into our courtyard, over to the lawn? Could he sit up in bed? Or could we bring a piece of turf into his room? Maybe it’s a combination of all three wishes, an icy green apple and grass slushy? Maybe not. Thanks to the kind efforts of one of our physiotherapists and nursing staff a short trip in a wheelchair was enabled.
Out into the sunlight, a gentle breeze on his face, Shane was wheeled out towards a fine collection of chlorophyll. Slippers off. Feet resting on lawny goodness. A man communing with nature. He lay back in a reclined position, his head propped up by a soft pillow. A satisfied smile on his face. Contented bliss. A momentary escape from his journey. A relaxing dose of normality. A simple pleasure.
Palliative Care the Tōtara Way.
Death is the one guarantee in our lives, and you only get one chance to get it right. Hospice is not only about dying; it is about helping patients live life to the fullest, with the time they have left – living well and dying with dignity.
Yours in service,
Dr James Jap
Medical Director and Palliative Medicine Specialist
