17 Jun 2024 Community

Sobia Bashir speaks highly about Connect with The Kirkwood and why she believes it’s a life line

The Kirkwood supports families all over Kirklees when they are going through a tough time. We not only look after the patient but also the family of that patient too. One of the services we offer is our Connect with The Kirkwood service. A 24 hour telephone service that people can call when they are struggling. 

Sobia Bashir has used our Connect with The Kirkwood service over the last year whilst caring for her dad Mohammed. He was diagnosed with liver cancer in February 2023 and died in May of this year at the age of 94. 

Sobia explained how she found the service invaluable, especially as she got to talk to someone who was there for her and could guide her through that difficult time in her and her dad's life.

On using the service Sobia said: “Our connection with The Kirkwood started back in 2023. My dad was taken into hospital in January after a fall.

“At the time when he actually had the fall, they said he wasn't going to make it through the night but he pulled through. 

“They incidentally found that he actually had liver cancer while he was in hospital recovering from the fall. Because of dads age and heart condition they decided that treating the cancer wasn’t an option.. At that point we were put in touch with a palliative care team from The Kirkwood.

“We just wanted to make sure dad had the best possible care and spent whatever time he had left in the best way he could. 

“I will say now, we leaned quite heavily on The Kirkwood,

“My dad wasn't referred to a liver specialist for anything and because of the problems he'd had with his heart they couldn't do the usual radiotherapy treatment. So it was more about trying to make the most of the time we had left with him. Whilst his care in hospital was OK, we were left with no answers, no idea of what to expect going forward and no guidance on what we needed to do at that moment. We were just left asking question after question and no one was willing to answer. 

“It was only when we got dad home and The Kirkwood's palliative care team got in touch that we got some answers. So not only were they giving us support with dad at home and taking care of our needs. They were also giving us guidance as a family and helping us to get a plan in place, which was huge. 

“It didn't matter who we spoke to from The Kirkwood, it didn't matter what time of day we called. Every single time we got an answer. To me that was just amazing knowing we had their invaluable knowledge and support at the other end of the phone was so reassuring. Getting the support or the answers that we needed and having access to that 24 hours helpline was incredibly helpful. I didn't even know it was a 24 hours helpline until I actually tried to ring it at about 10pm one night. 

“It was one evening when dad was really unwell and I just needed to speak to somebody that could get through to the doctors. We just sat there stressed out not knowing what to do. I just felt completely helpless and then picked up the phone and prayed to God that somebody would answer, which obviously they did, and it was such a comforting feeling as I was put at ease within seconds. There's just that element of care and compassion on the other end of the phone which helps you calm down.

“After those initial few months when he was bed bound. Dad started to kind of recoup a little bit. We didn't think he'd be walking again but actually he managed to. The Kirkwood put lots of things in place to help that process such as different equipment around the house. We got to the point where he was able to leave the house again. The Kirkwood made the last year and half of his life so much more livable compared to what it could have been.” 

On whether Sobia knew about The Kirkwood before her dad's care, she commented: “At the time, I kind of knew a little bit about the hospice. Whenever we had any clothes to donate to charity we would drop them off at one of The Kirkwood shops. So I knew a little bit about The Kirkwood, but I didn't really know as much as I know now.

“I knew the hospice was a place in Huddersfield where people go when they’re at end of life. However, it was only after we had a chat with the social care team that I learnt a lot more about what The Kirkwood is and how it operates. 

“I think the thing that I would really want to say is that for anyone that thinks that The Kirkwood is just a hospice, which is what I thought right at the beginning. It’s so much more than that, there are so many arms to Kirkwood that offer support in different ways for all kinds of needs depending on the person. The people at Kirkwood, whichever department they’re in, work tirelessly to give people whatever help they need. More people need to know about what this incredible team does.”

Finally Sobia urged anyone out there struggling with a life limiting illness to get in touch with The Kirkwood. 

She said: “Don’t wait until you’re at the end of your tether. If you feel like you need some support caring for someone that’s suffering with a long term or terminal illness, reach out to The Kirkwood. They are so supportive and are ready and absolutely willing to help. Call them through their Connect with The Kirkwood helpline, It's so easy. Taking care of a loved one who is at end of life is so hard emotionally and physically, The Kirkwood take the stress out of it as much as they can so you get to focus on making that precious time count.”