“People deserve to choose how they live, even at the end of their lives”

Back in Kenya, my sister was a nurse. I was a laboratory technician and used to help out in her clinic a lot. Sadly, she fell ill and I cared for her before she passed on.

Through working at the clinic and supporting my sister during her illness, I developed a passion for nursing. So when I moved to the UK 10 years ago, I decided to train as a nurse.

One of my first placements in university was with Marie Curie Hospice, Hampstead. I worked in the hospice after I finished my studies, before joining the Urgent Hospice Care at Home team as a Senior Nurse.

The Urgent Hospice Care at Home team works out in the community. We're called to go and check on patients, assess their needs and see what medication we can give. We set up syringe drivers that have been prescribed by a doctor and monitor the patient's condition.

We also offer reassurance, because it's a difficult time, especially for the families, who often need somebody to talk to. They need someone to reassure them and support them, not only at the point when their loved one is at the end, but even after that. We signpost to things like social benefits because it's often difficult for relatives to know what the next steps are with their finances.

People deserve to spend their final moments as they did when they were full of life. If they wanted to lead their life in a certain way, we should respect that and give them the opportunity to choose how they live, even at the end of their lives.

I remember caring for a man in Hampstead Hospice who was in his forties. Before his cancer had progressed, he had a very active and social life. He loved going out, he loved activities, he was a big footballer. We used to take him out in the garden, and he loved animals so we'd make sure that we had pets coming in. We did our level best to make sure he felt respected, and you could tell it made a difference to him and that he was happy, even at the end.

We care for young people, old people, cancer patients, patients with other terminal conditions. And we don't only care for people at the end of life, either. We care for people in hospice who are discharged after their symptoms are managed, and go on to have a high quality of life.

Sometimes, feedback from relatives and carers gets sent to the office. It may come in long afterwards, and sometimes you may not even remember what you'd done. But you'll get a note or message saying thank you, that you did a great job. It brings me a lot of joy to know that I've made an impact in someone's life during a very vulnerable stage. That I've made a difference to someone who needed care and who needed to be given dignity as a human being, as a person.

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