Health Story Hub
Michelle Friedman describes providing home care for her estranged younger brother as he dies from advanced pancreatic cancer. She touches on difficult topics of conversation, her brother’s depression, and grappling with death and religion.
An English language translation of this essay is available under the title, “A last act of intimate kindness.”
This Alberta Health Services website lists 107 videos from patients and their families. There is a brief description of each video (e.g., the health condition, who tells the story, what larger issue or point the story illustrates). It is possible to search the collection (e.g., for stories related to “cancer”). Some examples of health narratives on this website include:
Rose’s Story: Joy and Grief, a look into how healthcare providers can help us navigate tragedy and foster healing. Rose explores the impact and experience of the stillbirth of her son and daughter. (The website includes a content warning.)
B’s Story: Learning to B myself, a story about the challenges of occupational stress, gender identity, mental health, and transgender advocacy from a rural context.
Jeraldine’s Story: There is Hope, a story of the experiences of an Indigenous woman who experiences the ramifications of intergenerational trauma. This story advocated for Canada to provide culturally appropriate healthcare to indigenous populations.
Although produced by a health care system, these videos give more voice to patients and family members than is often the case with these kinds of collections. They are well-produced and many address the experiences of historically under-served and marginalized populations.
“I had barely seen my brother in decades, but when time was short, he let me in.” In the “Modern Love” section of the NYT, a woman describes the tenderness and connection of caring for a younger brother she was mostly estranged from through his death from cancer. She’s surprised at how positive and touching it is to reconnect with him under such difficult circumstances.
The story could be used to prompt discussion of end-of-life care. The brother declines aggressive treatment and his sister is with him when he dies at home.
This narrative is also available in Spanish under the title, “Un último acto de amabilidad íntima.”
Miriam Wallace, Professor of English & Gender Studies at New College of Florida, recommended this book on the Health Hum listserv. Author Alexis Orgera is a poet and the daughter of someone with early onset Alzheimer’s. Said Wallace, “What’s particularly lovely is the way it blends caregiving with learning about the disease–some great accounts of time she spent drawing with her father as a way to keep him connected as the disease progressed.”