Executive Director’s Journey in Giving Back to Assisi Hospice After Family Members Had Benefitted From its Palliative Care
published by Lianhe Zaobao on June 12, 2023
Translation of article:
Gerard Lee, 60-year-old, Executive Director of an insurance consultancy firm, was inspired to give back to Assisi Hospice after his parents and mother-in-law who suffered from cancer at different points in life, received palliative care from Assisi Hospice before passing away.
Both Gerard’s mother and mother-in-law were diagnosed with colon cancer in 2015 and 2017 respectively. Wanting to spend their final moments at home, both of them chose to be under the care of Assisi Hospice Home Care service, which is free. In 2019, Gerard’s father, who was suffering from prostate cancer, came under the care of Assisi Hospice inpatient service during the last month of his life. All three of them passed away peacefully after receiving palliative care.
Gerard said, “The professional medical team at Assisi Hospice provided guidance patiently throughout the various stages of the illness. In the early days, the care team focused on the symptoms and needs of the patient. At the later stage, they cared for us, the caregivers too, guiding us on how to care for the patient, assuring us that we are doing what is right and best for the patient.”
Moved by the dedication of the Home Care team, Gerard nominated Assisi Hospice when Howden Insurance Brokers, the company he was working at, was selecting a charity to support for their corporate social responsibility efforts. Howden eventually supported Assisi Hospice through both donations and volunteering.
Staff of Howden Insurance Brokers participated in Assisi Fun Day, a fundraising carnival jointly organised by Assisi Hospice and City Development Limited (CDL) on Sunday, 11 June 2023, setting up a stall to sell donuts. Gerard participated in The CDL Challenge Bubble Soccer which raised a total of $130,000 for Assisi Hospice.
The carnival took place at St. Joseph’s Institution International School with Minister of Education, Mr Chan Chun Sing, patron of Assisi Hospice, Ms Ho Ching, wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in attendance to show their support. Minister Chan Chun Sing also presented certificates of appreciation to the stall owners.
Assisi Fun Day had a total of 116 stalls and attracted 10,000 visitors. In addition to selling local delicacies, there were also handmade crafts by Assisi Hospice’s patients and numerous carnival rides and games. The fundraising target was S$1million and the proceeds will be donated to Assisi Hospice to assist in the care and support of patients with terminal illnesses and their families.
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