Peace, connection and farewell

I didn’t realise last week was Palliative Care Week, until a story popped up in my Facebook feed that got the tears flowing.

It started like this … “On the South Coast of NSW, where the ocean meets the shore in a steady, timeless rhythm, Broulee was home to Barbara Evans – a woman whose life was shaped by independence, connection, and a deep love of the sea.”

Barbara sounds like my kind of woman. Even in her late 80s, she swam at the beach every day, went bushwalking and embraced life to the full..

A series of strokes led her to the Eurobodalla Specialist Palliative Care Team. They were an incredible support to her. It fills my heart to know there is such goodness in the world.

When she became eligible for Voluntary Assisted Dying, Barbara had one wish: to return home. And the team made it happen.

On the way home, the ambulance stopped at the beach. The doors opened and Barbara took in the view and breathed in the ocean air one last time.

As the article on NSW Health describes it: “The sound of the waves, the feeling of being there—it was a moment of peace, connection, and farewell.

“In her own bed, with the ocean in view, Barbara spent her final 24 hours surrounded by the people she loved. Before the VAD practitioner arrived, she shared a glass of champagne, laughing and joking with her family—a small celebration of a full and meaningful life.

That’s the way to do it. Vale Barbara.

We need to make it easier for people in palliative care to die on their own terms, with dignity.

Read Barbara’s full, moving story here.

Song of the day: Crowded House “Elephants” (Sweet dreams, make waves, find bliss)