Amber feels his mum could have “a good death”

The son of a woman who spent her final days cared for by Prospect Hospice staff has bought them all cakes as a gesture of the family’s gratitude.

Bette Saif of Old Town became poorly with renal failure in January 2021. Son Amber, 49, who lives in Kuwait, says that by the time travel rules permitted him to return to the UK she was clearly deteriorating.

“Mum went into Prospect Hospice, and that was the beginning of a profoundly humbling experience for me,” says Amber.

“I thought she’d want to go back home to have her last days there, but she wanted to stay. Her room looked out onto trees and birds, and the staff were so motivated to keep her comfortable. It’s much more than a job for them, it’s a personal undertaking. The staff at Prospect Hospice really do sacrifice themselves to make the last stage of life not just efficient but a pleasant experience.

“One staff member saw me taking some time out in the grounds to pray and offered me the use of their spiritual room. My mother was a Christian and I’m a Muslim but that space is for people of any belief or none. They were so sensitive.

“I bought the cakes for the staff because I wanted to show our family’s gratitude for the marvellous care they gave mum. I didn’t know much about Prospect Hospice before that, but I now know that we were incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful charity, that didn’t charge a penny for mum’s care, to enable her to have a good death.”