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Hospice News
Meet Team Shirley
The story of Team Shirley begins, of course, with Shirley: Michael’s wife, Sophie’s Mam and Dan’s sister-in-law. Shirley lived in
Washington and had worked as a case worker at the DHSS; which was where she met Michael and together they had a Daughter,
Sophie. Shirley’s interests centred mainly on her family.
In 2004, when Shirley was 46 years old she was suffering
from a distended stomach and abdominal discomfort.
Obviously, she consulted her GP and was subsequently
referred to several specialists, from whom she received
a variety of diagnoses, but ultimately no clear pathway to
relief and cure.
As a family, we decided that she and her husband Michael
would walk into Accident and Emergency at her local
hospital and camp out, refusing to leave until they got to
the bottom of it. She was ultimately seen by a fabulous,
young doctor who said he did not know what her problem
was, but was taking it very seriously and would admit her
until she got a clear diagnosis. A couple of days later she
was diagnosed with ovarian cancer: otherwise known as
the ‘silent killer’, as it can take rather too long to identify.
Obviously, we were devastated at the diagnosis. Like
most families, we were very ignorant of cancer and simply
thought ‘cancer = death.’ That said, everyone quickly got
to grips with the diagnosis, as the proposed treatment
was spelled out. This was especially hard on Sophie who
was just 17 years old.
The marvellous side of the NHS then swung into action and Shirley had a hysterectomy and chemo, affecting a complete
cure. In the next 9 months, she and Michael then went on a holiday of a lifetime and had a luxury bathroom fitted to their
home. Shirley, Michael and Sophie had always wanted to take a trip to New York City, and that’s what they did - plonk in the
middle of Times Square, where they could go tramping around all of the iconic tourist sites and enjoy NYC’s famous Chinese
and Italian food.
Late in 2006, Shirley had her regular protein test and was given the all clear again. However, she had a funny feeling and requested
a scan. A couple of days later, she was diagnosed with cancer of the colon, and seven weeks later she had passed away.
A couple of weeks before she died, Shirley was discharged to spend her remaining days at home, with the close support of
a palliative care team. Sadly, through an oversight, they didn’t arrive and Shirley and Michael ended up in a tearful heap on
the floor of their new luxury shower.
Thus far, the story has been ugly, but now the angels step in. Obviously, Shirley needed specialised care, and she was
admitted urgently to St. Clare’s Hospice, where she spent her last two weeks. As a family, we can only look back in awe at
how compassionately the dedicated staff at all levels took care of Shirley and the rest of us. Some of these people are far
from materially wealthy, but the richness of what they do is beyond compare.
We were under no illusions as to the purpose of a hospice; but after Shirley’s desperate attempts to live in her own home, all
we felt was a deep sense of relief and gratitude that she was in safe hands. We clearly had heard of St. Clare’s beforehand,
but (luckily) had had no previous connections. St. Clare’s were keen to offer Michael and Sophie additional support after
Shirley’s death, but they simply decided to get back to as normal a life as possible and lick their wounds together.
St. Clare’s helps hundreds of patients and their families every year; in this edition of the newsletter we are able to
share with you the personal story of The Dunleavy Family whose loved one Shirley was cared for by our dedicated
team of Nurses and Doctors. Their story is kindly told by Dan Dunleavy, Shirley’s Brother-in-Law.
Michael, Sophie & Shirley Dunleavy
