A HOSPICE charity which provides support for people with a terminal illness has helped a couple to spend their last days together in their own woodland home.
Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care, located in and around Buckinghamshire, helped Gyongyi and Thomas, a couple from Great Missenden, to spend their last days together in their own woodland home.
Gyongyi husband, Thomas, said: “The Rennie Grove Peace Hospice at Home team made a huge difference to both Gyongyi and I.
“I can’t speak highly enough of them; they are such experts in what they do.
“From the moment they came for their first visit it gave us both peace of mind.
“The nurses explained everything so well and they answered all our questions.”
When Gyongyi was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2014, her husband Thomas decided to build her the home of her dreams. Gyongyi’s dream was to have a log cabin surrounded by woodlands.
Thomas completed the ideal woodland home for Gyongyi in November 2021, surrounded by 25 acres of woodland, which took him nine months to build.
As she was going through treatment for her illness, the couple’s home became a source of happiness for Gyongyi, a place where she felt happy and comfortable.
How did Gyongyi and Thomas meet?
Thomas explained how the couple met in 1979 after living on the same estate, briefly dated when they were 15, then met again decades later when Thomas decided, "I wasn’t going to let her go this time and we started dating and fell in love.
“At this stage Gyongyi had not been diagnosed with cancer.”
The couple decided to get married in February 2024, which Thomas said “was the cherry on the cake,” adding, “for us it was about making every moment matter.
"Gyongyi organised the whole thing, I just turned up! It was a wonderful day, I feel so lucky to have had Gyongyi in my life.”
Cancer diagnosis
Speaking of her diagnosis, Thomas said: “A lump had developed in her ovary and when she had undergone surgery to remove the lump, she had needed a full hysterectomy.
“The hospital decided to give her chemotherapy as a precaution, but shortly after Gyongyi was officially diagnosed with ovarian cancer.”
He added: “In 2021, Gyongyi contacted Rennie Grove Peace and a nurse came out for an initial meeting to understand Gyongyi’s situation.
“The nurse listened to what Gyongyi wanted and then explained the type of support that Rennie Grove Peace could provide for her.
“Gyongyi had watched her mother die in hospital, and it was a traumatic experience for her.
“As a result, Gyongyi has always said that she wanted to die at home, not in hospital.”
Thomas recalls the nurse asking them to get back in contact with the hospice charity “when the time was right” and when they needed support.
He said: “This was so helpful because we knew what to expect and the type of support that was available.
“At a meeting with Gyongyi’s oncology team in December 2023, she was told that they couldn’t offer her any more treatment for her cancer, and from that time forward she would need palliative care.
“When Gyongyi was transferred back to the care of her GP, she asked to be referred to Rennie Grove Peace.
“We started with one visit every day, the Rennie Grove Peace nurses would come one day and a district nurse the next.
“As Gyongyi’s condition deteriorated I found it necessary to call out the Rennie Grove Peace nurses during the night on two occasions.
“We were also offered additional help to take care of Gyongyi’s personal care which I only found necessary to call upon on Gyongyi's last day.”
An example Thomas gave of the nurses explaining the process clearly and easing their worries was when Gyongyi had been prescribed morphine for her pain but was reluctant to take it due to concerns of “being in a stupor”.
He said: “One of the nurses sat down with Gyorgyi and explained that the amount of morphine she was currently taking was the same amount as found in one co-codamol tablet.
“After their chat, Gyongyi decided to increase her morphine which made her last weeks much more comfortable.
“The nurses really care; I can feel that it’s not just a job for them.
“When they visited, they always asked how I was doing.
“When someone you love is ill, you feel completely helpless. I would have done anything to help Gyongyi and stop her illness from progressing, but I couldn't do anything.
“The nurses made it clear to me that they are here for me too, and I knew if I needed them, I could call them for help.”
Log cabin in the woods
Thomas took nine months to build Gyongyi a woodland home, nestled within 25 acres of woodland. It was designed to assist in Gyongyi’s care during her illness, and included a wet room, wheelchair access, and extra wide doors.
The interiors were chosen by Gyongyi herself, including the tiles, wall colours and kitchen.
Gyongyi’s husband Thomas, said: “It was great to have something to focus our minds on.
“Gyongyi was less stressed in our new home and I know she felt very lucky to live in such an idyllic place.
“The only downside is that the deer are always eating the daffodils!”
Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care supported Gyongyi returning home to Thomas, to help her die peacefully in the couple’s log cabin home in Great Missenden in July 2024.
Find out more information on the hospice charity and the care they provide at renniegrovepeace.orgv