Hospice brings dignity to the dying

When Ballito’s Holdsworth family toiled the “long, dark road” of terminal cancer with their beloved father, grandfather and husband, Derek van Zyl, they found extraordinary care and compassion through Stanger-based Dolphin Coast Hospice.

“We would never have managed the last two weeks without them,” said van Zyl’s daughter, Michelle Holdsworth.

Van Zyl was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer and given eight months to live.

He underwent a colostomy (colon surgery) and 12 sessions of chemotherapy in an attempt to save his life.

Unfortunately the treatment was not successful and he developed a blood clot in the lung, spending seven days in Umhlanga Hospital.

Upon discharge from hospital, the fragile Van Zyl required palliative care.

He was too frail to be transported home by car and had to travel by ambulance.

Dolphin Coast Hospice wasted no time in assisting the Holdsworth family and within 24 hours, Van Zyl was sleeping on a hospital bed in his daughter’s home.

During this time, hospice caregivers Rachel Mthembu and Toto Naidoo were the Holdsworth’s angels of mercy.

Being a non-profit organisation, Dolphin Coast Hospice provided the hospital bed, with special mattress to prevent bedsores, and training on how to turn and care for Van Zyl, as well as weekly home visits free of charge.

“Daddy was home for two weeks and died on Easter Sunday,” said Holdsworth.

The Holdsworths had a wedding to attend on Easter Saturday and Van Zyl insisted that they go. Mthembu gave up a night’s sleep to care for Van Zyl from lunch time Saturday to Sunday morning, taking the pressure off his 69-year-old wife, Annicke.

“It was a great comfort knowing there was someone there for Mom,” said Holdsworth.

On Easter Sunday morning, Van Zyl started coughing up blood and it became clear that he would not last much longer. He had a chest infection and did not want life support.

The family said their final goodbyes before Van Zyl was given a strong dose of morphine to relieve the pain and make him comfortable. He breathed his last breath that evening at 9.50 pm.

“Knowing you are not alone and that someone understands what you and your family are going through gives you the strength to carry on,” said Holdsworth.

As a non-profit organisation, Dolphin Coast Hospice relies totally on donations, sponsorships and volunteers to help the terminally ill die with dignity.

They currently have one professional nurse and two caregivers whom they pay a monthly salary, and a general practitioner who helps out free of charge.

Ballito’s Dr Umesh Naidoo volunteers some of his time to tend to the Hospice patients and gives referrals to hospitals where needed.

Dolphin Coast Hospice does not have an in-patient facility yet.

Those patients who are able to travel, get together at the Stanger community hall once a week on a Wednesday for a day of socialising and pampering.

Dolphin Coast Hospice fundraiser, Thilo Naidoo said anyone with wheelchairs, hospital beds, walkers, walking sticks or blankets that they no longer use can contact Dolphin Coast Hospice to make a donation.

“We will collect the items ourselves to save our donors a trip to Stanger,” said Naidoo.

The organisation also accepts food donations, adult nappies, and paraplegic support equipment. Those interested in sponsoring a meal on a Wednesday are welcome to do so.

“For many of our patients, the meals they get here on a Wednesday are their only proper meals of the week,” said Naidoo.

Contact Dolphin Coast Hospice: Krish Venkatasamy 083-234-5732, Thilo Naidoo 083-686-5155, Chin Suriah 082-974-2716.

Next week, May 3-10, is national hospice week.