The team at South Coast Hospice wish Adelaide Mthembu a fond farewell on her retirement. A dedicatedcare giver who has epitomised the Hospice principles of quality, compassionate care. A wonderful example to everyone that she meets. Adelaide Thandeka was born inMtata in 1952 where she completed her standard 8.
When talking to her she said, “It was unfortunate that due to financial constraints she was unable to complete her matric.”
On leaving school Adelaide married her soul mate and beloved husband Samuel Mthembu, (now belated), and together had 7 children all whom have been a great source of joy and pride in her life. After leaving Mbango retirement village she was employed at the Boboyi clinic as a domestic.
In her role as a domestic in a rural clinic in the late 90’s Adelaide saw firsthand the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Her heart was filled with compassion when she saw people coming into the clinic being pushed in wheel barrows and without hope. It was through Kath Defilippi that she completed her home based care, trauma and HIV counselling course and took the initiative to begin the valuable ground work for what is now termed as ICHC.
She smiles with great fondness when she talks of Sr. Kath, Sr. Francisca and Sr. Mabuyi who encouraged her to her driver’s licence and with that her work in the community increased and expanded.
When asked about what inspires her, Adelaide humbly answers, her children, her mother and father and more than that her heart, which is filled with the need to touch the lives of people in distress. We wish her well. She will not be forgotten and somehow I feel that although this chapter has ended it will be a final goodbye. She is a great South Coast Hospice ambassador.
This wonderful little lady has walked a path that very few could achieve. She has given her heart to compassionate care of her patients.
