Welcome to our Patient Stories page.
These are patient stories supplied from our amazing members. They are filled with hope and we so appreciate their submission to us.
Hope you enjoy reading through them!
Patient Stories
East Rand Palliative Care
For many families, the words “palliative care” arrive with uncertainty, and are often mistaken for care reserved for the very end. For Adri Steenberg, they came to mean something quite different: support, guidance, dignity, and the comfort of knowing she was not alone.
East Rand Palliative Care
Jaco’s journey is one of courage, and it shows why palliative care matters so much. Alongside essential treatments and surgeries, it ensures that no one faces pain and fear alone. For Jaco and his family, ERPC has brought hope, compassion, and comfort in the midst of uncertainty.
CHoiCe Trust
Thabang*, five, lives with his family in a community outside Tzaneen, Limpopo Province. He was referred to CHoiCe Trust by another organisation after concerns were raised about his wellbeing. When CHoiCe’s social worker intervened, she brought clarity and relief: Thabang was not being abused. He simply needed the right medical care, and now he has a team behind him to get it.
Greendale House Palliative & Hospice Care
Claude, 51, was a Kensington butcher until cancer took that from him. His daughter Melissa was in high school when he was diagnosed, and the illness changed everything for their family, until they found Greendale House through its Kensington Charity Shop.
Estcourt Hospice
A 35-year-old lady with two children – the youngest of whom was 18 months, was referred to Estcourt Hospice by the local primary health care clinic for…
Camdeboo Hospice
In August 2020, a 51-year-old woman, Julia Grootboom, became a patient of Camdeboo Hospice after being diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis with myelitis, leaving her paraplegic.
EACH Hospice – Patient A
We don’t just visit a patient to check the body. We observe the whole person and the whole family. Palliative Care is about seeing what others might miss and getting help before the family breaks down.
EACH Hospice – Patient B
This is the story of a 79-year-old patient whom I have known for 2 years. She had cardiac failure and had a knee replacement about a year ago.
St Francis Hospice – Rossouw Family Hospice
After losing their eldest son in 2020 and their mother in 2021, the following year brought another extremely difficult loss for the Rossouw family when they lost their…
Lambano Sanctuary
Born at 36 weeks’ gestation, with chronic medical challenges, Baby NM was admitted to Lambano Sanctuary for palliative care, awaiting further palliative…
Midlands Hospice
Midlands Hospice’s journey with the Matthees has been and continues to be one of hope – not necessarily in the hope of being cured, but that hope can still…
Midlands Hospice
An initial diagnosis of TB saw “Ms. N” referred to Midlands Hospice incredibly undernourished. As she began to respond to the care, showing an amazing weight gain, it was discovered that…
Helderberg Hospice
After a life beset with tragedies, including being rendered disabled and unable to work, Stewart’s heart function eventually deteriorated to that of a terminal prognosis. Helderberg Hospice not…
Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust – Hospice and Palliative Care Unit
Living with HIV for the past 14 years, this frail and painfully thin young woman was now facing a new battle; having recently been diagnosed with…
Tygerberg Hospice
Growing up surrounded by gang violence and having lost his dad at the tender age of 5, Marshall’s life followed a similar trajectory. In 2020, after sustaining severe injuries to his spinal cord due to…
HospiceWits
Neuro-myelitis rendered “Portia” emaciated, bedridden and very weak with hands that were constantly shaking. Working closely with HospiceWits and after gaining an understanding of…
Knysna Hospice
The mother of three children, Nonthobeka – with assistance from Knysna Sedgefield Hospice not only had her pain managed but received practical support in the form of food parcels pending…
Stepping Stone Hospice
No dictionary can explain palliative care better than a visit to 92-year old Muriel Swart from Mayberry Park, Alberton. Muriel has been bedridden since 2017 with…
White River Hospice
Having bravely lived with cancer for 10 years and believing it would continue to be so for many years, Ken and his family were devastated by the diagnosis that it had reached his brain and the…
Greendale House (formerly HospiceWits) – Sasha Ryan
I hope this letter reaches you, showering you with love, admiration, and boundless gratitude. My name is Sasha Ryan and I am writing to express my deepest appreciation for the exceptional care…
St Bernard’s Hospice
Mr X is a delightful 80-year old male, very jovial and upbeat about his situation. In the year 2000 he found a lump in his right breast. Knowing about cancer as he…
South Coast Hospice
Receiving bad news is never pleasant and when you are being told that your loved one has cancer, it is quite common to experience many emotions all…
Breede River Hospice
Our patient, known as “Tannie Kitty” is a well-known member of the Bonnievale community. Her independent way of living came under threat as she gradually aged…
Sunshine Coast Hospice
From the Beatles song “yesterday”, all my troubles seem so far away. Until a terminal illness hits you, a family member or a dear friend. Family, friends…
St Francis Hospice (Kouga)
Hospices are often misunderstood as buildings where patients spend their final days. Our members actually focus on enhancing quality of …
HospiceWits
A 60-year-old male patient Robert (not his real name), a former athlete, was referred to HospiceWits in March 2016. He was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. On admission…
