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Your email address will not be published.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

The new shared-home care model that could be coming to Australia

  An innovative new model for shared home care could soon be coming to Australia, with a pilot program now in development. Anna McEwen, Executive Director, Support & Development, of Shared Lives Plus is in Australia this week talking to The Australian Centre for Social Innovation about establishing a pilot program for one of Britain’s most... Read More

Small town baffled by mystery of unknown woman

The Mystery woman who was left at Nambour General Hospital on September 6th after being found on the side of a rural road remains unidentified despite making national news. Local residents of the area in which she was found are baffled as to who she is or where she came from, with no one recognising the older woman. Read More

Jet setting from the ground: the Mildura aged care home taking residents on tours of the world

Looking for a fun idea in lockdown? These Mildura residents have been traveling the world during a time where almost all flights are grounded and the rest of us have been suffering from itchy travel feet. Read More
Advertisement