Case Studies 2009
CASE STUDIES of Selected Callers Befriended
by Trained Befrienders at the Mithuruwela Center, Maharagama
Noor Naima, an extremely good looking 42 year old woman from North West Sri Lanka had accompanied her 56 year old mother to the NCI, Maharagama. The mother, Sakina, had been diagnosed with oral cancer and was receiving radiotherapy at the NCI. Sakina had been married at the very young age of 13 and had her oldest child – a daughter, Noor Naima – the very next year, at 14 years.
A couple of years ago, Sakina’s husband died suddenly of a heart attack and from the day he died and Sakina started observing ‘Idda’ (the period of mourning stipulated for a Muslim widow) she had started the habit of chewing betel. Although Noor Naima and her other siblings had tried to advise the mother on the ill-effects of betel chewing, the mother refused to listen to them and continued the habit. A year or so later she complained of soreness in the mouth and at the Government Hospital in her home town she was diagnosed with oral cancer and asked to consult the doctors at NCI, Maharagama.
Noor Naima met us just before we were finishing up for the day. She blessed the three of us who were befriending and said that Almighty Allah had sent us to talk with her and put her mind at rest. She repeatedly thanked us for befriending her and even went and bought a bottle of chilled Necto and served us saying that was the least she could do in return for all that we were doing for herself and other caregivers and patients. We were really touched by Noor Naima’s words and actions.
Jane is a 38 year old patient from Negombo. She is unmarried and has no parents. She comes from a very poor background. She has been operated for Thyroid Cancer in 1995 and also had surgery to remove a kidney in 2006. She has also undergone chemotherapy in January 2009 because her womb was affected.
Jane came to Mithuruwela in 2005. She has been a regular visitor since then. She says that at the time she started coming to Mithuruwela, she was sad, lonely and depressed. She was staying at Shanthi Nivasa during that period and volunteers observed that she had a few problems there too. She did not get on with the other inmates at Shanthi Nivasa. Volunteers guided and befriended her and gave her the feeling that there is someone to listen to her and share her problems.
Today she is cheerful and optimistic of an eventual recovery, and is observed to be willing to help other patients in various ways. She says that she has developed strength and courage to face obstacles now that she is alone.
Podi Nona was a 75 year old mother of three from Kegalle who suffered from ovarian cancer. By the time she arrived at the Cancer Hospital for treatment, the cancer had spread too far for doctors to perform surgery successfully. At the time Podi Nona was living in a shelter provided by the local Temple and was finding it extremely difficult to attend to basic needs such as bathing etc because of her age and deteriorating health. There was no one to assist her at the shelter since all the other occupants were also either cancer patients or their caregivers.
Luckily for Podi Nona, a vacancy opened up at the Shantha Sevana and we were able to admit her to the hospice on 04 September 2008. We had to obtain a letter from her doctor, without which patients cannot be admitted to Shantha Sevana.
Podi Nona was well looked after at the hospice and only regretted that her children were unable to come and visit her. Her family was extremely destitute and could not afford the costs involved in traveling to Colombo even for one day. Our volunteers would spend time with Podi Nona and befriend her so that she wouldn’t feel the absence of her family too keenly and also to help take her mind off her illness.
Podi Nona lost her battle with cancer a few weeks later and passed away on 31 October. Her family could not afford even the funeral expenses and a kind gentleman came forward to make the necessary funeral arrangements in memory of his mother.
Margie is a 58 year old resident of Kandy and the wife of Anton a 60 year old who suffered from pancreatic cancer. Anton was warded at the Cancer Hospital and was undergoing ray treatment. He was very weak, had lost his appetite and was in a lot of pain during his final days. It was extremely difficult for Margie, as the primary caregiver, to watch her husband suffering in this way. Despite the fear and anguish she felt, she always maintained a cheerful expression in front of her husband for fear of causing him any more pain.
The only people with whom she could speak freely were the volunteers of Mithuruwela. During the befriending sessions, she would talk about how devoted and loving she and her husband were to each other and we were able to observe this devotion firsthand during their stay at Shanthi Nivasa. She always had a positive attitude and looked after her husband extremely well. Through befriending, our volunteers were able to keep Margie’s spirits up so that she could be strong for her husband’s sake. She was even able to make arrangements to give her husband solace through their faith. By giving Margie the chance to talk freely about her feelings, we were able to give her comfort and strength and the knowledge that there would always be someone she could turn to for help with her own feelings of pain and suffering.
by Trained Befrienders at the Mithuruwela Center, Maharagama
Noor Naima, an extremely good looking 42 year old woman from North West Sri Lanka had accompanied her 56 year old mother to the NCI, Maharagama. The mother, Sakina, had been diagnosed with oral cancer and was receiving radiotherapy at the NCI. Sakina had been married at the very young age of 13 and had her oldest child – a daughter, Noor Naima – the very next year, at 14 years.
A couple of years ago, Sakina’s husband died suddenly of a heart attack and from the day he died and Sakina started observing ‘Idda’ (the period of mourning stipulated for a Muslim widow) she had started the habit of chewing betel. Although Noor Naima and her other siblings had tried to advise the mother on the ill-effects of betel chewing, the mother refused to listen to them and continued the habit. A year or so later she complained of soreness in the mouth and at the Government Hospital in her home town she was diagnosed with oral cancer and asked to consult the doctors at NCI, Maharagama.
Noor Naima met us just before we were finishing up for the day. She blessed the three of us who were befriending and said that Almighty Allah had sent us to talk with her and put her mind at rest. She repeatedly thanked us for befriending her and even went and bought a bottle of chilled Necto and served us saying that was the least she could do in return for all that we were doing for herself and other caregivers and patients. We were really touched by Noor Naima’s words and actions.
Jane is a 38 year old patient from Negombo. She is unmarried and has no parents. She comes from a very poor background. She has been operated for Thyroid Cancer in 1995 and also had surgery to remove a kidney in 2006. She has also undergone chemotherapy in January 2009 because her womb was affected.
Jane came to Mithuruwela in 2005. She has been a regular visitor since then. She says that at the time she started coming to Mithuruwela, she was sad, lonely and depressed. She was staying at Shanthi Nivasa during that period and volunteers observed that she had a few problems there too. She did not get on with the other inmates at Shanthi Nivasa. Volunteers guided and befriended her and gave her the feeling that there is someone to listen to her and share her problems.
Today she is cheerful and optimistic of an eventual recovery, and is observed to be willing to help other patients in various ways. She says that she has developed strength and courage to face obstacles now that she is alone.
Podi Nona was a 75 year old mother of three from Kegalle who suffered from ovarian cancer. By the time she arrived at the Cancer Hospital for treatment, the cancer had spread too far for doctors to perform surgery successfully. At the time Podi Nona was living in a shelter provided by the local Temple and was finding it extremely difficult to attend to basic needs such as bathing etc because of her age and deteriorating health. There was no one to assist her at the shelter since all the other occupants were also either cancer patients or their caregivers.
Luckily for Podi Nona, a vacancy opened up at the Shantha Sevana and we were able to admit her to the hospice on 04 September 2008. We had to obtain a letter from her doctor, without which patients cannot be admitted to Shantha Sevana.
Podi Nona was well looked after at the hospice and only regretted that her children were unable to come and visit her. Her family was extremely destitute and could not afford the costs involved in traveling to Colombo even for one day. Our volunteers would spend time with Podi Nona and befriend her so that she wouldn’t feel the absence of her family too keenly and also to help take her mind off her illness.
Podi Nona lost her battle with cancer a few weeks later and passed away on 31 October. Her family could not afford even the funeral expenses and a kind gentleman came forward to make the necessary funeral arrangements in memory of his mother.
Margie is a 58 year old resident of Kandy and the wife of Anton a 60 year old who suffered from pancreatic cancer. Anton was warded at the Cancer Hospital and was undergoing ray treatment. He was very weak, had lost his appetite and was in a lot of pain during his final days. It was extremely difficult for Margie, as the primary caregiver, to watch her husband suffering in this way. Despite the fear and anguish she felt, she always maintained a cheerful expression in front of her husband for fear of causing him any more pain.
The only people with whom she could speak freely were the volunteers of Mithuruwela. During the befriending sessions, she would talk about how devoted and loving she and her husband were to each other and we were able to observe this devotion firsthand during their stay at Shanthi Nivasa. She always had a positive attitude and looked after her husband extremely well. Through befriending, our volunteers were able to keep Margie’s spirits up so that she could be strong for her husband’s sake. She was even able to make arrangements to give her husband solace through their faith. By giving Margie the chance to talk freely about her feelings, we were able to give her comfort and strength and the knowledge that there would always be someone she could turn to for help with her own feelings of pain and suffering.
posted by Mithuruwela Cancer Support Network @ 9:04 PM
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