Wendy Danvers was determined to celebrate her life on a high. But when illness prevented her from a skydiving adventure, the palliative care team at Bairnsdale Regional Health Service literally came to the party by throwing a high tea in her honour.
Wendy, 62, is terminally ill with lung cancer and is seen every day in her home by the BRHS palliative care team including Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner Luke Williams.
Recently, Luke asked Wendy about her wish list, and Wendy said she knew what she wanted.
“This man decided that he would do something wonderful. He asked me if I had a tick list that I wanted to go through. I said, ‘Yes. I want to jump out of an aeroplane’. He said, ‘You can’t jump out of an aeroplane. What else do you have on your wish list?’, and I said, ‘I’ve never ever been to or had a high tea’,” Wendy said.
“He said he could organise it. He told me a story, and I don’t know how true it is, that he went back to work and he said, “OK everyone. I don’t know what a high tea is?’, and they all burst out laughing.”
Home Based Care Nurse Unit Manager Carolyn Nelson said the palliative care team was inspired into action.
“Luke came back to the office and told us, and I just said, ‘Let’s do this. Let’s make it happen,” she said.
Carolyn said she and Enrolled Nurse Deb Sharp visited an op shop to buy all the things to make Wendy’s high tea complete – crockery, teapots, tablecloths and the like – while others cooked, baked or prepared food to serve on the day.
It was a real team effort, Carolyn said. “Deb had a day off, so she went over and set everything up along with Louise, Tamara and Casey,” she said. “Wendy arranged for about 10 of her friends to come, and her husband Brian was so excited he asked if he could join in. And Wendy was very, very excited.”
The high tea was held in her carport, with members of the palliative care staff providing service on the day, or visiting on their breaks. Wendy’s favourite singer, Neil Diamond, provided much of the musical soundtrack.
Wendy said she was touched by the team’s generosity.
“Some of them are working today. Some are here on their time off. Some have sent flowers because they weren’t able to come. The weather is great. It’s just amazing what these people will do,” she said.
Brian said that he had tried to arrange a high tea for Wendy at a fancy Melbourne hotel.
“This is better than going to Melbourne to the Hyatt or somewhere like that,” Wendy interjected, “because it wouldn’t be as personal – or as tasty.
“These people are here for a specific reason. They have either been friends for literally umpteen years or they are nurses who have been with me since my diagnosis. And nothing has been an effort for them. They never say, ‘No, you can’t do that.”
Well, except for skydiving. “Yeah, they were a bit of a downer on that one. I don’t know why,” Wendy laughed.
