It is a beautiful sunny day here in Pembrokeshire today, the perfect day to go out for a run but alas I am stuck indoors looking after my poorly man who has a nasty dose of flu, still, its the perfect time for me to sit and write this blog post.
When I have previously asked for sponsorship for my crazy ideas it has usually been for a well known national charity such as Cancer Research or the Lymphoma Association. Charities that are foremost in our minds and have huge media campaigns behind them in order to keep them there.
When mum was diagnosed with cancer I looked to all the different charities to see what help and support they could offer our family. Macmillan had a specialist nurse who was available to offer help and guidance when I could get hold of her, Marie Curie didn't offer any help in our area, there are no local hospice service to help when with respite care when things were getting tough. That left us with one option, Paul Satori.
Having spent time with the charity during my nurse training I was aware they offered a "Hospice at home" service. I contacted them when mum was ready to come home from hospital and within days they had delivered and set up a hospital style bed for mum to use when she came home, a listening device, similar to those you use with babies when they go into their own rooms and a 24 hour number for help, support and advice. They also offered a sleep in service, this has to be one of the most invaluable services ever provided by a charity. For 2 nights (sometimes more) a nurse or health care assistant would stay overnight meaning I could go home, sleep in my own bed, get a full nights sleep without worrying that I wouldn't wake if I was needed. I cant begin to tell you how amazing that was, especially when running on empty. The staff were amazing, they would always be on time, were keen to help in any way they could. Each time they came they would sit and have a chat with me so I could "handover" anything they needed to know, discuss medication with them, offer solutions to any problems we were having and just listen to my worries. They would send me off home with a smile and a wave and I knew that mum was safe and well looked after. She would enjoy having someone new to chat to and soon became very fond of her "ladies" as she called them. It also gave her someone to confide in. We knew that she had worries that she didn't want to burden her family with, perhaps she thought talking about her final wishes would upset us or she just simply couldn't face it. She knew the ladies who came to her had experience in these matters and would be able to sit and listen without judgement or emotion, this was just what mum needed.
Whilst the statutory 2 nights were a life saver, there were often times when I would need perhaps an extra night like when I was floored by a cold and needed that night of unbroken sleep, or when the kids had something on and I needed to be home. I only had to pick up the phone and ask for help, if they had someone available then they came, no hesitation. There were also nights where they had a cancellation and I would get a phone call asking if I would like someone that night, it was always gratefully accepted. I can honestly say without Paul Satori there is no way we could have managed to keep mum at home as long as we did.
I am however aware that we only used a small amount of the resources this charity has to offer. A brief look at their website HERE shows that as well as home care and equipment loans, the charity offers a clinical nurse specialist in palliative care, a physiotherapist to enable palliative patients to maintain independence and dignity in their own home, complementary therapies such as aromatherapy, massage, Reiki and reflexology for both patients and their families, bereavement counselling, advanced care planning and education and training for medical professionals. Best of all, all this is offered for FREE!!! So how much does this all cost? Their website informs me that in 2016 the cost of running their clinicaal service was £900,000. That is a pretty astounding figure and must be quite a daunting task for their fundraising team, can you imagine having to raise that amount of money each year? This is why, in a fleeting moment of madness, I decided to do the Cardiff Half Marathon and raise as much money as I could for this fantastic charity.
But don't just take my word for it, here are some comments from other people who have been supported by Paul Satori:
Vicky: When dad had pancreatic cancer they provided all the equipment from bath hoist to bed, wheelchair etc. Not to mention emotional support they offered.
Rachel: we used Paul Satori when my mum was ill, they were fantastic. If we needed anything we only had to phone and they would deliver it straight away. We nursed mum at home which was hard work and at night she would become very restless because she was scared to sleep so Paul Satori sent someone out to us to stay at the house overnight so that my dad could get some rest.. I don't think we could have kept mum at home with us to die her own home if it wasn't for the brilliant ladies.
Sam: When I lost mum I had nowhere to turn. Being an only child and losing dad many years ago meant everything was down to me. With their help and support I was able to provide first class care to mum when she needed it the most. Whats more they helped me come to terms with my loss through their amazing counselling service. It was such a relief to have someone to talk to who understood how I felt and didn't try and tell me how I should feel. They really made a difference.
So there you have it, whilst Paul Satori isn't one of the "big boys" in the charity world, they are certainly one of the best. Any dent I can make in their own target will be a huge help and I know will go towards providing care for a family just like me or yours.... If you would like to sponsor me please pop across to my Justgiving page HERE GO ON! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!!
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