Anna's Story

Aged 84, this brave lady had been a patient at Baragwanath Hospital at the time her relative phoned HospiceWits and requested a second opinion from our Home Care Nurses. Anna had been admitted to hospital with chronic ulcers on her leg that would not heal. Diagnosed years earlier with a muscular disease similar to Parkinsons, the hospital had tried unsuccessfully for many months to treat this patient’s leg ulcers, and had advised Anna’s family that her lower leg would have to be amputated. HospiceWits nurses believed that they could save the elderly lady’s leg, and so she was discharged from hospital and registered as a HospiceWits home care patient. Daily, a nurse went to see Anna at her home to provide the level of wound care that was required. It was a tedious and lengthy daily process – one that our nurses were familiar with, as many bedridden elderly patients have bad bedsores that require similar treatment. Initially very slow progress was made, but without fail, one of our nurses treated Anna’s wounds daily. After several weeks the wounds showed some healing from the outside, and new tissue began filling the centre of the wound. Both patient and nurses were delighted that their efforts to save the patient’s leg were paying off. Anna had been given a special diet to follow to assist in her healing, and she followed it religiously. After several months of daily wound care, the ulcer could be left uncovered. Our nurses and the elderly lady were so pleased with the result of all their efforts to save the leg of the elderly lady, they went back to Baragwanath hospital to show the nurses what they had achieved. Thank you, Sasfin Bank Ltd and Sasfin Asset Managers – it is your generous funding that enables us to provide this life-changing care to traumatized patients and their families.