The personal wishes of each family we care for are always vitally important to our team.
When a patient on our Inpatient Unit expressed how much she longed to see her unborn baby granddaughter before she died, our team helped to make her wish come true by facilitating a special 4D scan.
Julie Atkinson, who we cared for before her death from a brain tumour in November 2021, was determined to live to see her daughter April give birth to her first child. Sadly, as Julie’s condition progressed, it became apparent that this might not be possible.
During her time at the hospice, Julie had developed a strong and trusting relationship with our clinical and Patient and Family Support Team, who care for and keep in touch with relatives and friends of patients. Realising how important it was for Julie to support her daughter while pregnant and share in the joy of her first grandchild arriving, our team arranged for April to have a high-definition 4D scan.
The scan, which showed April’s baby’s facial features in remarkable detail, was then presented to Julie and her family.
April said, “Mum was so excited to see the pictures of her new grandchild. They really made her smile.
“She loved everyone at Saint Michael’s so much and trusted them as if they were family. Ever since the team cared for my dad, who lived with Motor Neurone Disease, she had kept in touch with them and really appreciated them checking in on her wellbeing.
“Once she became ill herself, Mum felt really reassured coming to Saint Michael’s, knowing the quality of care that she would receive.
“The team looked after our family as well as Mum. They explained what was happening in a way that didn’t make you feel scared.
“They make amazing things happen and wishes come true.”
April’s baby, Macie-Jules, arrived safely in November 2021 and she is grateful for the memory of this special experience with her mum and her daughter, thanks to support from our team.
