Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospitals Featured

Grandmother’s final wish granted at the beach

20 Feb, 2019, 2:53 pm20 Feb, 2019, 3:29 pm Sia Anthopoulos

Carmen final wish was to watch the sunset at Brighton Le Sands beach.

Mount Druitt Hospital Palliative and Supportive Care teamed up with Blacktown Hospital, NSW Ambulance and Dreams2Live4 to grant the final wish of a patient.

Carmen Leon de la Barra, who was suffering from end-stage bowel cancer, wanted to visit Brighton Le Sands beach where she had created many memories with her family.

Two days afterwards, Carmen passed away.

Carmen’s family surround her as she watches the sunset at Brighton Le Sands for the last time.

Mount Druitt Hospital Supportive and Palliative Care nursing unit manager Trish Dalgleish was pleased to see so many teams working together to make one final wish for a family.

“It was great to see many people come together for the best outcome for the patient and the family,” Trish said.

“We are all going to experience death, but we want a good death.”

NSW Ambulance and Mount Druitt palliative care helped the patient fulfill her dying wish.

Trish said the role of palliative care is about preparing people for end of life care but also enabling them to have a good quality of life with what is left.

“It’s about empowering the family to come together, allowing these things to happen and making them aware that these things can happen.

“The joy that this event brought in such a sad time is beautiful.

“It was a privilege to know this family.”