Khanya Hospice offers support to patients and their families

IF it were not for the support offered by Khanya Hospice, Raymond Upton said there was no way he would have been able to come to terms with the death of his wife, Patricia.

After being diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer eight months ago, and her health deteriorating very fast, the couple, who had been married for 45 years, reached out to the hospice for a wheelchair.

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“What we didn’t know was that we’d be offered so much more. Under the guidance of Sister Sue van Rijsbergen, I was taught how to be a caregiver. Not only was she like a friend to my wife, but she supported me emotionally and prepared me for the inevitable outcome. Sue has a heart of gold, and I am eternally grateful for her and the organisation,” he said.

At about 02:30 on January 10, the day Patricia passed away, Van Rijsbergen immediately responded to a message from Raymond.

Despite limited funding and resources, he said the hospice helps in so many ways, which allows partners and family members to solely focus on the patient. “Cancer is the worst illness. There were times when my wife would wake up in pain, and I’d think, ‘today is her last day’, but after a couple of days, she would pick herself up again. She always tried to smile and be happy, but I knew she was in excruciating pain,” he said.

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An emotional Raymond added that without hospice, he would not have known what to do or how to cope. “I would have been lost without them. There is no way a person would be able to deal with this situation by themselves, so I urge everyone to seek the help of a hospice,” he said.

Raymond is therefore making an urgent appeal to individuals, businesses and the community to see the impact that the hospice has on lives and to make a donation so they can continue to offer free services.

CEO of Khanya Hospice, Neil McDonald, said that, as a non-government organisation, they do not receive funding. “Our services are offered for free, but it is not free for us to provide. We have patients from Athlone Park to Hibberdene, and we need fuel, among others, to conduct home visits,” he said.

At the end of the month, Van Rijsbergen will be retiring after about 36 years of service. “All the best, and thank you for always being there for our hospice patients and their families. She will be fondly remembered by all whom she came in contact with,” said McDonald.

For more information, or to make a donation, contact Neil McDonald on 083 597 8985 or at hospice@khanyahospice.co.za

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