Clara and Kirsty's story: giving families quality time together
Everything Kirsty did was always for her family, she was always looking after them and always helping.
So, when she was diagnosed with cancer at just 63 years old, it felt like her world stopped. Her daughter Clara was determined to be there for her, just as Kirsty has been there for everyone else.
Caring for her mum meant managing a constant stream of appointments, information and important decisions. The responsibility could feel overwhelming.
"I never felt it was a burden, but I knew my cup was already over full. I felt very alone. For me, it became a silent struggle," Clara said.
Clara and her family developed a 'real partnership' with Silverchain.
"What Silverchain gave us was quality time with mum. No matter how much time that we did have with mum, it was quality time because of the care we received,” Clara said.
With your support, Silverchain can support more families like Clara's during one of the hardest times of their life.
Can you make a donation to support more families?
Silverchain researcher Norah Elvidge is helping find better ways to support families in the last year of life.
Norah is examining why some people receiving specialist palliative care at home experience unplanned hospital admissions in the final stages of life. Her research looks beyond hospital records to understand what families are really experiencing in those frightening moments before an emergency admission.
At Silverchain, we know when we understand what support is missing, we can help change what happens next.
That is the power of donor-funded research: it turns the experiences of families like Clara’s into better care for the next family who needs us.