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On October the 30th I took part in the Auckland Half Marathon. As a PE teacher I have always had a love of sport however running has never been my passion and to complete a Half Marathon was always on my “to do” list.
To help motivate me to pound the pavements on an almost daily basis I decided not only to have my own personal goal but to get my friends and family behind me to help raise money for the Hospice North Shore.
On the day of the Marathon it was just over a year since my Uncle Brian lost his battle to Motor Neuron Disease. My Uncle Brian was one of the funniest men I have known. As a child at primary school I use to tell everyone my Uncle was the white version of Billy T James, same sense of humour same laugh. My childhood was often spent answering the telephone to hear my Uncle tell a joke, crack up laughing and then hanging up. This was not a one off but a common occurrence. At family Christmas’s he was the one you always wanted to sit next to as you knew it was likely to be highly entertaining.
Motor Neuron Disease is a disease that attacks the upper and lower motor neurons. This leads to weakness and wasting of muscles, causing increasing loss of mobility in the limbs, and difficulties with speech, swallowing and breathing.
For a man who loved to sing, play the guitar and worked as a cabinet maker, this disease was incredibly debilitating.
The Hospice North Shore did a wonderful job of looking after my Uncle. It amazed me every time we went to visit how well the Nurses knew him and could understand what he was trying so hard to say. The Hospice provided a place of solitude and peace for my Uncle and I know he looked forward to his stays there.
On the day of completing my run, together my friends and family raised closed to $900 almost doubling my initial target.
My Uncle is missed every day by those who loved him especially by my Nana (Elaine) and by his sister Barbara (my mother), I know he would be proud of my accomplishments and I only hope that this small gesture can help another family in their time of need.
Kelly Goodrick (ne Lupton) |
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Inness's Story
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Inness Anderson, 81, hadn’t been feeling well for awhile, so when the doctors discovered she had osteoporosis, she thought that was the cause of her ailing health and just got on with it.
But her health continued to decline and after a number of tests in July 2011, Inness was told that she had pancreatic cancer and she only had weeks to live. She didn’t flinch when it was suggested that she contact Hospice, because Inness knew better than most what Hospice was all about.
You see when Inness retired in 2002 she decided that she would volunteer for charity. She saw an ad in the local paper that North Shore Hospice needed volunteers, so she applied. Inness was signed up immediately as a volunteer receptionist which she continued to do for the next 4 years. She recalls her weekly Thursday afternoons at reception with a smile “it was such a happy place – it sounds funny, but it really was a great place to volunteer. Not only knowing that I was helping Hospice look after those who were dying – but I also made some great friends!”.
Inness openly admits that while she thought she knew what North Shore Hospice did, it was only when she became a patient did she truly appreciate Hospice’s “amazing work”.
Jan and Claire were two of the Hospice community nurses who first visited Inness in August and spent time with her checking and tweaking her medication trying to get her nausea and pain under control. “I remembered both nurses from my volunteering days and they were fantastic – they not only helped me with my medication, but they made me feel safe.” Jan and Claire also spent time with Inness’ family to reassure them, talk them through what to expect and to let them know that Hospice would be there every step of the way for them and their Mum.
Initially Inness would spend the first part of the week staying with her daughter Janet in Milford, then Leonie another daughter, would travel down from Whangarei to spend the rest of the week with her in her home. “It was lovely having the girls around, but it wasn’t easy for any of us”. Inness’ pain continued to increase and the family weren’t sure what to do, so they contact Hospice and Inness was able to come in the In Patient Unit to not only work on her medication to get the pain under control, but also to give her family a break. Plus it was now 7 weeks since she had been diagnosed, so it gave everyone a chance to talk about “what next”.
Inness enjoyed her stay in the Unit “the Hospice has such lovely staff, there were always people around – I didn’t feel the loneliness of waiting around…I mean, while I loved being at my daughter’s, whenever she had to pop out, I just waited for the front door to open again, I felt anguish about being on my own and I can’t expect my family to be around 24/7, they have their own lives to live”. She told me that she also got her appetite back a bit in the unit – I have a suspicion it had something to do with the sticky date pudding that she gave such glowing reviews!
Inness and her family have made the decision that her move from the In Patient Unit will be to a local retirement village, where they know she will be well cared for and that she will be surrounded by people. Her family will be able to visit her and spend time with their Mum and Nana. Inness will also still be under the care of Hospice, so will continue to receive regular visits from our community team.
“The North Shore Hospice is truly an amazing place, I knew it when I volunteered – but I now appreciate how truly amazing it is”
Sadly, Inness lost her battle with cancer early in October 2011.
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