Watch: ‘We Didn’t Just Lose Our Mum’ – Young Grieving Daughter Recounts Family’s Harrowing Experience With Cancer
A young Maltese woman recounted the harrowing journey of her mother’s battle with cancer that would have been significantly worse had the family not had Hospice Malta to count on.
Jessica’s mother, Maria Tonna passed away on 26th November 2023. She was diagnosed with an Ovarian Cancer and was supported by Hospice for two and a half years since 2021.
Upon receiving the news, Jessica stopped her master’s studies to be there for her mother who began chemotherapy in the hopes of beating the disease.
Despite the cancer being initially successful, it came back a year later and she had to undergo chemo once again. Unfortunately, Maria was struck with the same fate with the treatment working only for the cancer to return a third time.
However, this third time was different, Jessica explained. Doctors immediately brought her into hospital where they wanted to perform a bowel obstruction. During this period, so many things were happening so quickly that no one really knew what was going on, not even Maria.
“At first they’re going to try and they’re going to do a bowel obstruction and just two days later she’s taken to palliative care. It wasn’t easy… at all,” Jessica tearfully recounted.
Even though this must have been one of if not, the most difficult periods in both Jessica and Maria’s lives, the grieving daughter explained that she wouldn’t have been able to get through it without Hospice Malta.
“Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to do anything; we would have been alone in this battle.”
Hospice Malta constantly called and checked up on them, they quickly became a part of the family, Jessica said.
“When the time came, we felt like we didn’t just lose our mum, but we lost someone else too because they became so deeply involved in our lives that we got used to them.”
Jessica went on to say that the appreciation she has for Hospice Malta is “enormous”. She explained that while she was always grateful for all their help, looking back at it now the appreciation is tenfold.
“Mummy would tell them thank you all the time, she knew how much they did for her. She loved them a lot.”
Hospice Malta shared this interview with Jessica to Lovin Malta not long before the 2024 Telethon is scheduled to be held. This year’s event is ‘L-aħħar pass’ which aims to raise enough funds to complete the final stages of the St Michael Hospice complex that is set to be inaugurated in September.
The telethon will be broadcast on local channels today from 11am to 11pm.
If you’re interested in donating, you can through:
Calls: 51802024 for 25€ / 51902031 for 50€
SMS: 50619234 for 11.65€
Bov Mobile: 79933894
Pledge: 21220011
Do you have any personal experiences with Hospice Malta?
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