WATCH: Metro Police surprise cancer patient at Hospice handover
Metro Police officers serenaded a cancer patient at Highway Hospice this week.
A CANCER patient had her day made on Friday morning when Durban’s most charming Metro Police captain, together with his bubbly team surprised and serenaded her as she lay in bed.
Captain Peter Keogh, and his team of Metro Police officers and admin staff were at Highway Hospice to handover a R2000 donation, the proceeds from a Cuppa for Cancer event organised by the Metro Police communications department across Durban stations.
“We chose to donate to Highway Hospice because so many police officers and their families, including my late wife, have been treated with such care and dignity there. This Hospice really belongs to the community and us as police are part of the community. We also want to offer our moral and emotional support to the wonderful staff, patients and their families,” he explained.
The team went on a tour of the Highway Hospice during the visit and stopped to serenade Pam Tanner, who was at the Hospice for pain management and insomnia. “This is a wonderful place, this is a most wonderful gesture and such a lovely suggestion that Metro Police came up with to donate to Highway Hospice,” she said.
Tanner told Berea Mail she was a survivor after fighting breast cancer 11 years ago.”After six years of teatments, the side effects caused problems with my heart but the cancer has gone to my brain,” she said.
After visiting with Tanner, Keogh serenaded her with Roy Orbison’s Crying and a few other old favourite songs from the 60s and 70s, which delighted the patient who declared it had to be her “special day.”
“Her daughters were in tears when I sang Leaving on a Jet Plane, and our officers were there to cheer them up. I always bring our young officers with on outreach programmes as I want them to interact with the public and have a chat over a cup of tea, so both parties know that we are not enemies and there is more to policing than arresting a suspect or issuing tickets. I always want the young members to see the other side of policing, the human side!”
