Ganga Prem Hospice Patients
Sadhu Arjun Nath
Sadhu Arjun Nath was one of Ganga Prem Hospice’s terminally ill cancer patients who is remembered by the Hospice team and doctors at the Himalayan Institute as somebody who never complained and always remained peaceful despite his life threatening disease.

Sadhu Arjun Nath first came to the Ganga Prem Hospice clinic in April 2009, with complaints of persistent cough and chest pain. He had been wrongly told by a local doctor that he had Tuberculosis. The fifty four year old destitute sadhu was diagnosed by Dr Dewan as suffering from Bronchogenic Cancer. The disease was already beyond the stage of curative treatment.

Arjun Nath's humble shelter near Lakshman Jhula

With the patient possessing no financial means and having only a makeshift shelter to live in, the responsibility of giving him palliative care and ensuring his general wellbeing was taken on by Ganga Prem Hospice. The patient’s medicines, food, clothing, commuting expenses, palliative radiotherapy and chemotherapy charges were provided for by the Hospice.

Whether Arjun Nath needed to travel to the Himalayan Institute Hospital in Jolly Grant for treatment, or needed to be fed when he was too ill to cook for himself any longer, Sarojini Murthy, the Hospice’s palliative care coordinator, was always there to support him. Arjun Nath, with his simple and non-fussy ways, endeared himself to the doctors at the hospital at Jolly Grant and to the Hospice team. He readily agreed to undergo the five week radiotherapy and chemotherapy sessions and trusted his doctors and carers completely.

During his last days, he openly discussed with Sarojini Murthy what he wanted after he died. He said that no one had to be informed in the event of his death but that if it was possible he would like his fellow sadhus to be given a meal in his memory. When Sarojini asked him if he wanted to be cremated or be given jal samaadhi (where the body is put in the river, as is the custom for Sadhus), he unassumingly left it to Sarojini to decide by saying, “Whatever is convenient for you.” Even in death, Arjun Nath was neither complaining, nor demanding.

The day before he passed away he had expressed a simple wish to eat apples but in the the night before Sarojini could get him some apples, he died of sudden Hemoptysis. On the sixteenth day ceremony of his last rites, fittingly, apples were lovingly distributed by two of Ganga Prem Hospice volunteers, Teri K and Ashley Quinn, both hospice workers from the US.

Sadhu Arjun Nath’s death in his very modest shelter by the road side was quick. For two days before his death, he told a Ganga Prem Hospice volunteer who brought him food cooked by Sarojini, that he was not hungry anymore. He died on the night of 12th December. His death was very sudden and he did not suffer much during his last moments. Arjun Nath had been well cared for during the last nine months of his life, since his advanced lung cancer disease was first diagnosed. During his last days, when it was winter in Rishikesh, the Hospice provided him with blankets and warm clothing so that he could protect himself from the cold even though he lived by the roadside in a very inadequate shelter, Arjun Nath needed inpatient hospice facilities in the final stages, but in the absence of these facilities, the Hospice did its best to ensure he still had some comfort in the form of an assured supply of cooked food, warm clothes, pain relieving medicines, and kind carers to look after him.

During the days following his demise, Sarojini arranged for a lamp to be kept burning in his humble shelter, as is the tradition after the death of a sadhu. One of Arjun Nath’s fellow sadhus was given the necessary supplies so that he could lovingly do this service. On 30th January 2009, the 16th day after Arjun Nath’s death, a bhandaara (traditonal feast) was organised by Ganga Prem Hospice, to honour the patient’s last request.

Poor sadhus eating at Sadhu Arjun Nath's feast

Near to the hut where Arjun Nath lived, the feast was arranged for 35 sadhus, many of who knew Arjun Nath personally. Sarojini Murthy organised the meal and purchased the food the previous day, entrusting the provisions to a sadhu who was a close friend of Arjun Nath. Prayers were held in Arjun Nath’s memory and the food was neatly prepared and set aside for the feast. Apples brought by Ganga Prem Hospice volunteers, Ashley and Teri, were distributed. Some dakshina (ceremonial token money offering to Sadhus) was given to the Sadhus but as there were many more Sadhus ( 63)at the feast than the expected number of invitees, Teri, very generously gave the dakshina to the sadhus who had not been expected

Arjun Nath's photo at the feast given in his memory

Sadhu Arjun’s photo decorated with flowers and placed beneath a nearby tree smiled sweetly out at the sadhus enjoying his last gift to them.

Madhu’s Story
‘She suffered great pain, fever, malnutrition, weakness and inconsolable depression.’

Madhu is a single mother. When she was diagnosed with cancer there was no one to turn to. Her only son, in his early twenties, struggled to earn enough money for her treatment. He is unqualified and could only earn a little wage. He needed to borrow a lot of money to pay the fare to take his mother to the cancer facility far away from their home. More money was needed to stay and eat in a strange town. The cancer treatment was expensive and so they took the minimum treatment - as much as they could afford. They returned home to their debts and, after a little while, to reoccurrence of the cancer, reoccurrence of the need for treatment and reoccurrence of despair.

This story, however, changed its course because of the help of the Ganga Prem Hospice palliative care team. Madhu has now been able to have the treatment she needed, the pain killers and medicines she needs, good food, nutritional supplements, supportive home visits and loving care from GPH volunteers. Her son, knowing his mother is cared for, is able to go to work to pay off the bills and debts.

Madhu and her son were lucky. Many aren't. Help is needed to increase palliative care services in India.

A peaceful end to four years of pain.
Just before slipping into the coma she stretched out her arms to Sarojini and said ‘Thank you, thank you’

Madhu Rana was a spirited fighter. Right from the time four years ago when she was diagnosed with cervix cancer, to her last days when despite being gravely ill, she visited the Ganga Prem Hospice cancer clinic to ask her doctors for advise and to thank them for their support. In the one and a half years that the hospice supported her in her treatment and palliative care, the team grew very fond of their 45-year old patient who was often depressed and forlorn but still was tenacious enough to continue to live with cancer for much longer than the doctors had expected her to survive. When Madhu Rana first came to the Ganga Prem Hospice in January 2008, she was extremely undernourished due to her very poor financial condition. Her young son, who was her only family, was struggling to deal with his mother’s illness and expensive medical needs. GPH covered the cost of her treatment and chemotherapy as well as sponsoring her nutritional and other practical needs. The GPH home care volunteers would visit Madhu at home and Madhu and her son, Anil found support, love and succour with the hospice team.

On 19 May 2009, Madhu left her body. In her last days, Madhu did not suffer much pain, which was a blessing. In the last week her aged mother, a cancer survivor herself, her two brothers, nephews came from their distant homes and joined Anil in caring for her. Madhu and the GPH home care co-ordinator, Sarojini Murthy, had a special bond between them as they had been together during much of Madhu’s terminal illness time. The last three days, Madhu was comatose. Just before slipping into the coma she stretched out her arms to Sarojini and said, ‘Thank you, thank you’ With Sarojini’s guidance, kirtan, prayers and japa were done throughout the last few days to aid Madhu’s peaceful transition. According to Madhu’s wishes, she was cremated in Haridwar, a muktikshetra. After her death, Madhu was adorned in a blue saree, and decorated with kumkum and ornaments . Her cancer-stricken body looked amazingly peaceful as she was laid on a kusha (a grass bed). The atmosphere was serene and the family carried out all the required rituals which surround death in a Hindu family. Neighbours, including the family of GPH’s first terminal patient, Pushpa Devi, came to pay their respects. Although the members of Madhu’s family appeared on the scene only in her very last days, it was a relief to see that at least in her dying hours, Madhu was given much love, care and prayers. Anil is being supported in his bereavement by Sarojini, Madhavananda and other Ganga Prem Hospice volunteers.

PATIENT'S STORIES
Cancer patients and their loved ones are invited to write to us about their views, thoughts and feelings. We will include as many letters, articles and stories as is possible in these web pages.

Please send your article to Nani Ma: nanima@gangapremhospice.org