35-year old Rakesh was under treatment for mouth cancer at the Delhi State Cancer Institute. He lived with his his elder brother and mother in Delhi while his two sons lived with his wife in Bihar.

Rakesh used to visit CanSupport’s East Delhi Outpatient Centre to get his dressing done as this was not possible in the hospital. As time went by, Rakesh’s condition deteriorated and he was unable to make the trip to either the hospital or the CanSupport Outpatient centre so he enrolled himself in CanSupport’s free home-based palliative care service.

When the team first visited his home, they found that his mother and elder brother were very stressed about his disease. They felt helpless and unable to do anything for Rakesh especially during the Covid lockdown when most hospitals were not treating patients and his condition was steadily worsening. He had also developed a wound in his mouth which was very uncomfortable and painful.

Seeing that Rakesh couldn’t eat any food the team nurse inserted a Ryle tube that would help him to take liquid nourishment. The doctor assessed his condition and gave him medicines for the fever and pain. While the doctor and nurse were examining Rakesh, the counsellor spoke to his brother and mother, ensured them that the team would take care of their loved one and that they would be helped and supported regularly.

After a few visits, the team found that Rakesh’s condition had improved and he was eating food normally and no longer needed the Ryle tube. However, after several sessions the counsellor found that his mother was really upset because of the rift in Rakesh’s marriage. His wife had left him with their children and moved to her father’s house in Bihar. Rakesh’s mother was deeply affected by this and was often found crying and sobbing. The counsellor spent a lot of time listening to the mother, giving her the chance to express her sadness and worry and offering her emotional support.

One day the team got a call that Rakesh’s situation had deteriorated and they were asked if they could come and help them. The team visited the family and found that the wound in his mouth had developed pus and needed immediate attention. The team nurse was able to perform the procedure and Rakesh was given medicine to control the pain.

Meanwhile the counsellor asked his elder brother if Rakesh’s wife had contacted him, but found that she had not done so. Rakesh’s condition was getting worse and the counsellor spoke to the family about the deterioration in his disease. Aware of the decline in his condition, Rakesh began to miss his children even more and expressed a wish to see them.

The counsellor suggested to his elder brother that he try to get the children to visit their father but the lockdown made travel impossible. The counsellor even suggested that the team would help to get a special travel pass for his wife, but she was not willing to travel. Moreover, she even refused to take any calls, having blocked all the phone numbers of Rakesh and his family.

So, the counsellor took her number and made several calls but it was only after two days of calling that Rakesh’s wife finally picked up. The Counsellor spoke to her at length about Rakesh’s health and how the rift in their relationship was affecting him in the last days of his life. The counsellor was finally able to persuade her to let the two children speak to their father. Rakesh’s wife called him the next day and made his two boys speak to their father. This made a world of difference to Rakesh and brought him the happiness and comfort he had longed for.

After a few days Rakesh’s elder brother called the team to say that he had left for his heavenly abode, at peace when he breathed his last. The family expressed their appreciation for all the help they received from the CanSupport team at such a difficult time. And the team took comfort from having enabled some closure and family reconciliation at the end.