Hospice Week brings focus to care that supports, comforts, and stays
For Adri and her husband, palliative care became a source of reassurance, dignity, and presence when they needed it most.
For many families, the words palliative care arrive with uncertainty, often misunderstood as something reserved only for the very end.
But for Adri Steenberg, it became something else entirely. It became support, guidance, dignity, and above all, a sense that she was not alone.
As Hospice Week, commemorated from May 4 to 10, invites communities to better understand the role of palliative care, it also creates space for stories like Adri’s to be shared.
Stories that move beyond fear and hesitation, and show what care can truly look like. For Adri, palliative care was something that carried her and her husband Hennie through one of the most difficult chapters of their lives.
Adri and her husband Hennie, shared 40 years of marriage, a gift from heaven as she describes it.
Their journey began in 2011 when Hennie was diagnosed with skin cancer. For years, it was managed through treatment and procedures.
ALSO READ: Springs land invasion crackdown sees EMPD demolish structures
There was hope it could be contained. But in 2020, everything changed. A flare-up on his lip led to what was expected to be routine.
Instead, doctors found the cancer had spread extensively through his chin. A major operation followed, involving reconstruction, bone grafts, and skin grafts.
This resulted in Hennie spending months in hospital. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, Adri could only visit briefly twice a week. The distance was unbearable.
Despite aggressive treatment, the cancer returned. More procedures followed, along with discussions of replacing his jaw with a titanium structure.
Radiation and chemotherapy took their toll. Then, on October 18 2023, Adri and Hennie were given the news no family is ever ready for.
His condition was terminal, with an estimated six months to a year to live. It was then that they were referred to East Rand Palliative Care (ERPC).
ALSO READ: Dyslexia in children: Awareness and support crucial for academic success
Hennie had been home for just two days when Sr Tracey and Dr Jess arrived. From that moment, Adri’s experience shifted. What she expected to be clinical became deeply human. “They were angels from heaven,” she says.
Care began immediately. Pain was managed. Symptoms were controlled. Medication was organised and delivered. Emotional support became part of their daily reality. And most importantly, someone was always there.
“When I called, they were just there.”
When Hennie developed flu, one call brought immediate action. Oxygen was arranged, medication delivered, and support put in place without delay.
As his condition worsened, the care adapted around him. When Adri suspected a stroke, she rushed him to hospital, only to be discharged without answers. She reached out again.
Sr Barbara arrived almost immediately, stepping in with calm authority. A caregiver was arranged. A syringe driver was set up. Medication was prepared.
From that point on, Hennie’s care became structured, compassionate, and constant. As his strength declined, confusion set in at times, but Adri was never left to manage alone. The team supported both of them, quietly carrying the weight alongside her.
“You don’t realise how tired your body is,” Adri reflects. “Adrenaline keeps you going, but the exhaustion is real.”
The doctors had given Hennie between six months and a year. He lived for two years, two months, and two days.
Adri believes time was a gift made possible through the right care and support of the ERPC team.
In the final two weeks at home before he was admitted to hospital, Sr Barbara visited every day, ensuring he was comfortable.
Even in the smallest moments, the support mattered. When Adri nearly ran out of medication, overwhelmed by daily care, one call brought reassurance.
That same evening, the medication was delivered. That is what palliative care looked like for her. Not just medical support, but practical help, emotional reassurance, and a presence she could rely on.
ALSO READ: Springs Gate Pick n Pay marks 24-year milestone, thanks loyal customers and staff
Hennie’s final hospital admission lasted two weeks, and it was there that he passed away. Looking back, Adri is certain of one thing. Without ERPC support, she would not have made it through.
Her message to others is simple, but powerful: “Spend every moment you can together. No matter how tired you are. Because when they’re gone, it’s final.”
Towards the end, when Hennie could no longer speak, all she wanted was to hear his voice again, to feel his arms around her. It is a reminder of how precious time becomes.
This year, as ERPC marks 40 years of serving the community, stories like theirs remind us what palliative care truly means. It is not about giving up.
It is about showing up. It is about ensuring dignity, comfort, and support at every stage of a life-threatening illness, while walking alongside families through some of their most difficult moments.
For 40 years, ERPC has done exactly that. Quietly, consistently, and compassionately. And during Hospice Week, that message matters even more.
Palliative care is not only for the final days. It is about living with dignity, comfort, and support at any stage.
For families like Adri’s, reaching out was not the end. It was the moment everything changed. ERPC is located at 218 Kemston Avenue in Benoni, and may be contacted on 011 422 1531.
