For there is still such a lot to do

Little-Stars-Guest-Blog-Gail-Featherstone-Image

Guest Blog by Gail Featherstone

Gail Featherstone is the wife of the former British High Commissioner to Malaysia His Excellency Simon Featherstone CMG. Gail authored the delightful children’s book ‘Mr Monty’s Treat’ with proceeds from the sale of the book divided between Hospis Malaysia and East Anglia Children’s Hospices in the UK.

My own family has been much blessed by the work of the hospice movement in the UK and, like many others, it was only when I witnessed first-hand the love and care of palliative care teams in homes and hospices that I came to realise the full value of the work they do amongst life-limited adults and children. So it was an enormous privilege to witness the launch of the first ever paediatric palliative care programme in Malaysia in September 2012. My dear, late husband, Simon Featherstone, who himself died in a hospice just last August, was at that time the British High Commissioner to Malaysia.

I wish to pay particular tribute to the inspiring leadership of Dr Ednin Hamzah and his team at Hospis Malaysia, who have paved the way for improved children’s palliative care services, not just in Malaysia, but in the whole of the surrounding region. Her Royal Highness, Raja Zarith of Johor, the Malaysian Royal Patron of the children’s palliative care programme, also deserves rich recognition for her quiet but tireless efforts to expand and improve care for children with life-limiting illnesses in Johor and beyond.

DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE CHILDRENS HOSPICE ADVOCACY

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, herself the Royal Patron of East Anglia Children’s Hospices in the UK chose to give her first ever speech abroad at Hospis Malaysia and it has been a particular joy to witness ongoing collaboration between EACH and Hospis Malaysia.

It is my hope and prayer that such links as these will continue and – together with the release of this wonderful and inspiring series of films – will lead to genuinely significant improvements in world-wide children’s palliative care in the years ahead.

For there is still such a lot to do.