A patient living with cancer has shared how meditation sessions run by an ESNEFT volunteer help her.
Cornelia Starke makes a weekly visit to the Cancer Wellbeing Centre at Colchester Hospital where volunteer Colin Tofts performs gong baths for patients.
A gong bath involves different sounds, tones and vibrations created by striking different-sized gongs which encourage relaxation both physically and mentally.
Speaking in Volunteers’ Week, Cornelia said: “I absolutely love the gong baths because can go into very deep relaxation and whatever the subconscious brings up is absolutely marvellous.
“You bathe in the vibrations, and it is very soothing. I love the experience of being in my own state and letting go of everything. You are safe and secure and that is very beneficial for the patients.
“For me it’s a wonderful one hour a week where I sense and feel the vibrations.
“Most people feel very lonely on their cancer journey. It’s the coming together, knowing you’re not by yourself.
“It calms your mind and nervous system, the anxiety and worries.”
Trained electrician Colin, who used to work as a project manager, also performs meditation using sound bowls and offers yoga classes for patients.
Colin Tofts runs gong baths at the Cancer Wellbeing Centre at Colchester Hospital
Sound bowls provide relaxation and sound healing when struck or rubbed and come in different sizes and depths, while the yoga he practices is Pranayama, which promotes breath control.
Colin said: “To help people and know that they are benefitting is priceless.
“There are no aims and goals, it’s about the patient having an experience and being able to let go.
“It takes them to a different level and the vibrations help relax different muscle groups.
“It works on the basis of what we use for TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) machines and ultrasounds.
“Mentally people find it very calming, too.”
Colin’s classes run on the second, third and fourth Tuesday of every month.
Arguably the most popular volunteers at ESNEFT have four legs and a waggly tail.
Rolo the rescue therapy dog is one such volunteer, he delights patients, staff and visitors alike when he visits Ipswich Hospital.
Rescued by Claire Dean – who walks him around the hospital – and her family, it was touch and go whether Rolo would survive after he was rescued from a puppy farm by the RSPCA.
He was in awful condition that required veterinary treatment. Two of his littermates had not been so lucky.
Almost 12 years later the Springerpoo is loving life, bringing joy to cancer patients on Somersham Ward, and to patients in the children’s and stroke units.
He also makes impromptu visits to other areas of the hospital and is stopped on numerous occasions in the corridor by people requesting his presence on wards.
Claire said: “You can feel the atmosphere lift on a ward when Rolo arrives.
“We visited one patient who had been given a shock diagnosis and was missing his dogs, the last of which had recently died.
“His nurse had contacted me to see if Rolo could visit – we did, the day before he was to have major surgery.
“He showed me photos of his dogs and told me all about them, as well as wanting to know all about Rolo.”
Rolo, who has been charming people at Ipswich for five years, has also been a pet therapy dog at Southend Hospital and was the first dog allowed on the children’s ward there.
On his influence around children, Claire said: “There was a young boy had broken his leg, and he was being asked to do some physiotherapy.
“The boy didn’t want to do it and needed encouragement, so Rolo sat on the bed next to him and rested legs on the boy’s broken leg.
“The boy ended up having his physio.
“He seems to know how to behave around different patients depending on how they are.
“Although you have to be a bit careful when food is around as he might stick his nose in peoples’ bags!”
Rolo the Rescue Therapy Dog is on Facebook and Instagram and is also an official RSPCA Rescue Dog.
Other Rolo anecdotes from Claire
“Rolo visited a patient, who was blind and deaf after having a stroke.
“Staff recommended I put Rolo on her bed.
“The patient touched Rolo and said in a loud voice: “It’s a dog, it’s a real dog!”
“We could hear cheers coming from the nurses’ station up the corridor.”
“Rolo visited an end-of-life patient, at his request.
“After his death, the patient’s wife posted a comment on Rolo’s Instagram page, which said: ‘Seeing Rolo was one of the last things that made my husband happy’.”
Rolo the pet therapy dog.
“A stroke patient wanted to give Rolo the cheese left in her sandwiches and suggested I give it to him.
“I asked if she would like to give it to him (thinking it might help her situation) – and without hesitation she started to use her poorly arm and hand and gave him the cheese.
“She was very pleased as she was not only interacting with him, but it was also helping to rehabilitate her arm and hand.”
“A nurse was trying to encourage a patient, who was having some issues with his fish and chips, to eat.
“We made a deal that if he (the patient) ate a mouthful of fish – then he could give Rolo a treat.
“After a little confusion trying to give Rolo the fish from his fork, the patient ended up eating three mouthfuls of fish – and Rolo received three treats!”
Julia Pipe is a friendly face, a hand to hold and a listening ear
She began volunteering as a Butterfly Volunteer at Colchester Hospital two years ago and spends one day a week with end-of-life patients and their families.
The former nurse, who also worked in the pharmaceutical industry, was living abroad until returning to the UK with her husband to care for her father and his mother.
Julia Pipe
Julia, said: “After they had gone, I asked myself what I was going to do with my time?”
Becoming a volunteer was a natural path to follow.
Julia, who trained and later worked as a nurse in Ipswich, at Anglesea Road and Ipswich Hospital, said: “I am very comfortable talking to people and building up a rapport.
“It’s about giving time to those people who are going through a journey, often for the first time, and being a friend to them during those difficult days.
“To anyone thinking of becoming a Butterfly Volunteer, don’t fear the end-of-life part. You are helping people; sharing conversations with them; helping families through the steps to the inevitable.
“I find being a Butterfly Volunteer fulfilling.”
The role does come with challenges, however.
She said: “The saddest situations are when the patient does not have any family.
“That is as hard as dealing with the very young patients. Again, I will sit with them, talk to them – I will squeeze their hand, sometimes they will squeeze mine back – and there are times I am sitting with a patient and they die or pass.”
It is not only lonely patients that need comforting. Sometimes a family member can have the most supportive network but still need someone independent to lean on.
Julia said: “They usually want to talk and it’s about giving them that platform.
“I will ask them how they are coping or tell them their health is just as important as their loved one, because they may have been sleeping in a side room with the patient for days and days.
“That breaks the ice because they are not thinking about themselves. Someone coming in and telling them they matter as well is often almost like a wake-up call.”
Julia added: “I’m honoured to serve as a Butterfly Volunteer at Colchester Hospital, offering comfort and presence to patients and their families at the end of life. It is one of the most meaningful roles I’ve held.”
For more information please email butterfly.volunteers@esneft.nhs.uk.
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