The sense of caring shines through
Cliff is a retired gentleman living in Norfolk. He was diagnosed with bladder cancer about three years ago and for the past two years has been receiving immunotherapy treatment every three weeks. Cliff feels fortunate in that the immunotherapy treatment seems to be “working for him.”
Instead of having to drive an hour and a half round trip to the nearest hospital, Cliff has been driving 10 minutes up the road to access a Hope for Tomorrow mobile cancer care unit for his immunotherapy treatment. This, in Cliff’s words, has made it all “so much easier and less stressful”.
Trying to find a parking space at the hospital is always “a struggle” and additionally Cliff has saved on petrol and parking costs.
Cliff describes the Hope for Tomorrow mobile cancer care unit as “convivial and convenient” with the additional bonus of a “nice cup of tea always on offer”. According to Cliff, the Hope for Tomorrow unit does not at all feel like a hospital as it is a much smaller, more friendly environment.
He feels it has made his cancer treatment “much more relaxed” and “much less stressful” in comparison to being treated in the hospital where inevitably it is much noisier and busier. With only four seats in the unit Cliff believes it makes for a more compact, relaxed feel.
…so much easier and less stressful…it’s always a pleasure to visit
Although it is not always the same nurses on shift at the mobile cancer care unit when Cliff visits, he states that you “cannot fault the staff” for their professionalism and welcoming attitude. The driver of the bus, a retired fireman from London, is always on duty and he and Cliff often have a chat before he starts on his treatment. “He’s a most interesting character,” in Cliff’s words.
Cliff often has a chat with fellow patients onboard the unit. One of the people Cliff has been chatting with owns a gardening business and Cliff might well use his services in the future, an unseen bonus in the midst of difficult times.
Ultimately, Cliff states what has made the difference in terms of using the Hope for Tomorrow mobile cancer care unit is that “he does not feel like a number” and that “the sense of caring shines through”. His final words, although he feels he shouldn’t be saying it in the circumstances he finds himself in, is that “it’s always a pleasure to visit” his local Hope for Tomorrow mobile cancer care unit.
