On October 11, 2025, marking 20 years of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, we share a story of compassion and dignity.
Life is a roller-coaster ride for Mrs. Thilaka (name changed). She lost her husband and one son to alcoholism, and her only surviving son was on the same path. Without employment and support, her days were consumed with struggle. When she noticed an ulcer on her breast, she was gripped with fear. Hesitant and worried of losing her shelter, she finally sought medical help when the pain became unbearable. The cancer diagnosis struck like a death knell.
That’s when CMC’s Palliative Medicine team welcomed her to the Ida B Scudder Hospice. The ulcer had spread across her chest, causing constant pain. Her doctors described it as ‘Carcinoma en cuirasse’, an aggressive form of spreading breast cancer. At the Hospice, Mrs. Thilaka felt the power of hands that soothed, dressed, cared, cooked, prayed, and tended to her with warmth, grit and grace without seeking anything in return. “I feel at home,” she says, smiling with glistening eyes.
With her days sadly numbered, gentle care brings her comfort and dignity—truly reflecting the words of Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern hospice movement: ‘You matter because you are you. You matter to the end of your life’.
Just ₹4,000 gives one patient a day of compassionate care at CMC’s Ida B Scudder Hospice. You can bring comfort and dignity today by supporting one patient for 5 days.
Story contributed by the Department of Palliative Medicine
