May 30, 2023

Mum, student and corporate lawyer still makes the time to give back

Volunteer biographer Sandra Campbell with Sarah Mellowes
Volunteer Sarah Mellowes with palliative care patient, Sandra Campbell. [Source: Supplied]

For corporate lawyer, university student, mum of two, and volunteer, Sarah Mellowes she saw how important it was to document the lives of palliative care clients for them and their families.

As part of HammondCare’s Life Stories program, Sarah has written three biographies so far for a range of clients including 47-year-old Sandra Campbell who is receiving palliative care after a pancreatic stage 4 cancer diagnosis.

Sarah, who lives in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, documented Sandra’s story in a series of recorded interviews which she then turned into a 35,000-word biography for Sandra and her two children, Allegra and Xavier.

For Sarah, a lover of writing, balancing her professional life with volunteering is crucial in order to give back to the community and prevent loneliness in aged care clients.

Having no grandparents residing in Australia, Sarah found that interviewing palliative care clients and immortalising their stories created a strong sense of fulfilment for all involved.

“Where I get the fulfilment and the joy from is their faces when they talk about a beautiful memory in their life or even just talking about their favourite food – for me, that’s why you do it and I think that they get a lot out of it as well,” she said. 

“You’re not a family member or somebody they know. They can unload a lot of different stories and bounce things off you that they might not share with other people.

Sarah found the biography program after being inspired by the ABC TV’s Old People’s Home for Four Year Olds series and joined the 30 volunteers that write about 35 biographies a year for palliative care patients.

Sarah found time to write the biographies during a break from practising corporate law while she finishes her Master of Laws at the University of Sydney and she recommends anyone with a passion for writing or listening to stories to consider getting involved.

“It’s a lot of work and it does take up a lot of time and energy but you certainly get a lot of fulfilment from it.”

For more information about the biography program, visit the HammondCare website.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Artist finds key to connecting with elderly mother is collaboration

  When artist, Tony Luciani, set up his new camera blocking the doorway to his apartment’s only bathroom, he had no concept of the chain of events he had just set in motion. Tony soon became absorbed in experimenting with the camera’s various dials, buttons and settings. But his elderly mother was living with him at the... Read More

The Today Show Shines A Week Spotlight On Aged Care, Open Discussion Must Continue

For those of us that don’t have loved ones in aged care, it is a foreign thing to lay awake at night worrying about their wellbeing. For many Australians this is a current and perpetual feeling. With mums and dads in aged care, countless Australians have been concerned as to the wellbeing and health of... Read More

Why Are More Australians Seeking Advice When Planning For Their Future Care?

The Australian population is ageing. In fact there are now 3.8 million people aged over the age of 65.  It’s not hard to see why planning for your twilight year is slowly creeping to the forefront of the national consciousness. The latter years in a person’s life often pose difficult healthcare decisions. Depending on the... Read More
Advertisement