"My Sister Maggie"

My sister Maggie was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in January without previously having shown any signs of that disease. Despite time spent in different hospitals, the cancer was too far advanced to allow any invasive treatment and so we explored the available hospice options.  

Following family concerns about the standard of care at a Glasgow hospital, it was an absolute relief to be under the care of the Kilbryde Hospice. This started at the initial meeting with Sine to discuss getting Maggie into the hospice, and extended from the reception & administration team through to nursing and clinical support, and the entire organisation in fact.

On each visit to the hospice you are warmly greeted by welcoming smiles, and in order to get through to the rooms, there is a security door where you have to be buzzed in, which adds to the overall feeling of safety being afforded to your family member.

Myself and other family members would often stay overnight and the hospice provided a z-bed so that we could sleep in Maggie's room to be by her side. All family members are shown great respect and care during visits, and this continued for the overnight stays, where the team made sure we were always comfortable, and kept fed and watered.

A special word of thanks to Zarah in the nursing team who noticed a slight change in my Maggie's breathing early one morning that signalled my sister was slipping away. This allowed us time to alert other family members so that we could all be by her side.

There are too many other staff members to thank individually for the care shown to Maggie and our family during the 3 weeks she was there. Rest assured they are in our hearts.