In 2018, Odette Soutar’s mother, Kay, passed away after a battle with cancer. Kay spent the last four months of her life receiving invaluable care from Waipuna Hospice.
Determined to honour the support her mother received, Odette decided to step out of her comfort zone and take part in a fight night, raising funds for Waipuna Hospice. Below is a letter she sent us, sharing her story.
To whom it may concern,
I wanted to take a moment to first say thank you to the team at Waipuna Hospice for all that you do in our community. It is coming up six years since the passing of my Mum and eight years for my Father-in-Law. Up until this point, I had never had the experience or a true understanding of what hospice did. You are all amazing.
Since losing my Mum, it has given me a new perspective on life, what it has to offer, and its frailty. I stepped out of my comfort zone in May this year and undertook a corporate boxing match – no prior boxing experience and turning 50 in a few months, it was a little nerve-wracking, to say the least. I dedicated the fight to my Mum with every minute of my six-minute fight symbolising every month my Mum fought. Perhaps wisdom over youth prevailed that night with the judges’ unanimous decision giving me the win! Not only was I proud of myself for going through the process of training and then competing but it was also a reminder of the amazing support I have around me from my friends and family.
The event raised money for youth boxing but as my own personal fundraiser, I wanted to be able to give back to Hospice. We raised $1,400 which I have today donated to Waipuna Hospice. This is to show my appreciation for the nurses and carers who visited Mum at home and Dad after her passing (I wish I could remember their names), they truly were angels on earth; the guys that delivered beds, commodes, and other equipment she needed over that time; and the nurses and reception staff who dealt with Mum when she spent a few days at hospice.
All I ask is for this letter to be shown to as many people as possible who are a part of Waipuna Hospice (or any other Hospice) so that they may know how important they are and the integral role they play in our community. Your dedicated and relentless work is so greatly appreciated and is never forgotten.
Forever grateful,
Odette
We want to say a huge thank you to Odette for sharing her story and raising vital funds for Waipuna Hospice.
If you would like to help us care for people like Kay and Odette, please donate today.
This story was originally published in Waipuna Connections Issue 87.