Community donations offer comfort during bedside vigil

Dozens of care packages delivered to Ipswich Hospital will comfort family and friends keeping a bedside vigil of a loved one who is at the end of their life.

The Palliative Care Boxes are an initiative of Lisa’s Lunches, a volunteer program named in memory of Lisa Heuston, who passed away at Ipswich Hospital in 2017 after living with cancer.

Palliative Care Nurse Unit Manager Melanie McBain said the boxes would be given to loved ones who were  supporting people during end-of-life care at Ipswich Hospital as a comforting reminder that they are not alone at a significant time in their lives.

“When people arrive by the bedside of a loved one, sometimes they are not prepared to stay for long but end up staying 24 or 48 hours, so items like toothbrushes, toothpaste and hand cream are gratefully received,’’ Ms McBain said.

“It is very touching for a patient’s supporter to think there are people in the community who are caring for them at that time – not just their families and health workers but people in the broader community too.’’

Lisa's Lunches

Lisa’s Lunches organiser Jacqui Martin said the volunteer program, sustained by donations from Ipswich residents and the Lisa’s Lunches Facebook community, continued Lisa’s legacy to support others during tough times.

Ms Martin, a close former workmate of Lisa, said her friend would make lunches for teachers to distribute to students who went to school without food. When

Lisa was diagnosed with cancer, her friends decided to support her and her family in kind, by organising packed lunches for Lisa’s children so the family had one fewer burden to carry.

Ms Martin said the Lisa’s Lunches movement continued to grow after Lisa’s death, and they have since donated more than 10,000 lunches to support West Moreton families affected by cancer.

She put out a call on Facebook for assistance in supplying the Palliative Care Unit with five kettles.

“Twelve minutes – that’s how long it took for supporters to answer the request via the Lisa’s Lunches Facebook page,” Ms Martin said. “We are so grateful to this amazing community. No request is ever a problem.”

Now the army of supporters have provided donations including toiletries, socks, crosswords and adult colouring books, tea bags, long-life milk, cereal and snacks for each Palliative Care Box.

For more information, visit the Lisa’s Lunches Facebook group.