When asked for one word that best describes his late mother, 10 year old Kavisha replies with conviction, “There is no one word in the Universe that can describe her – she is all the good stuff!” Kavisha’s mother, Keshari, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at age 33, and sadly, succumbed to her illness by January 2017. HCA Hospice (HCA) Nurse Liu Yan, the primary care nurse shares, “The first thing that impressed me was how the two young children would look after each other because they knew Mummy was not well.”
This young family, comprising Daddy and two young children, went through a situation that every family dreads. Nurse Liu Yan was there to guide the family through the paces of the Advanced Care Planning stages. “Keshari was very mindful of her own circumstances and had a clear understanding of what she needed to prepare for. Even in her dire situation, her concern was for her husband and children – she did not want to burden them too much.”
Daddy devised a project for Kavisha to help him cope with his grief journey – to publish a book about dinosaurs, dedicated to his mother. It turns out that this colourful fantasy book was the last act of love that Kavisha did for his mother – she passed on just four days after the official launch.
“She was very brave – she would tell us not to worry, that she would live for us,” Kavisha recounts. “But for me, it felt like the end of happiness.”
He shared how the family used to celebrate Mother’s Day – a day filled with hugs, handmade cards and tulips. But this Mother’s Day will be different, he says: “It will be quiet, I think”.
Kavisha and his family’s loss is a poignant reminder to all of us not to take any little act of love for granted. A final word from Kavisha – what would you say to Mummy if she were here now? “Come back to me and never leave me again!”
To support the many deserving families under our care, please work with us to help our patients fill their last days with comfort and peace.
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