INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN
IN THE PALLIATIVE CARE MOVEMENT
Dame Cicely Saunders is often denoted as a pioneer of palliative care and an ardent supporter and builder of the hospice movement. Using her experience as a nurse, research lead, doctor, and medical social worker she worked to restructure how society deals with and treats those nearing the end of their lives. In 1967, Saunders established St Christopher’s Hospice in Sydenham, London which used a holistic approach to meet the physical, social, psychological, and spiritual needs of patients, their family, and friends. Later, in 2001, she received the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize for her work at St Christopher’s.
Dr. Samantha Winemaker is another influential figure in palliative care, although in a more modern sense. As recently as 2018 Dr. Winemaker was awarded the Elizabeth J. Latimer prize for excellence and innovation in improvement of end-of-life care. Coinciding with more than 17 years of work as a palliative care physician she remains very active in the social media space with her co-hosted podcast Waiting Room Revolution which aims to transform the illness experience through advice and transparency. She also uses media like Instagram to dispel myths surrounding palliative care and actively create a space for people to learn and ask questions.
In the spirit of disseminating information surrounding palliative care Dr. Kathryn Mannix has transformed 30 years of work in palliative medicine into a retirement focused on bettering the public’s understanding of what dying really looks like and how people can prepare for it. Through media like the BBC, TED talks, CBC, and her own books, With the End in Mind and Listen, Mannix talks about the reality of death and how to die well. She uses real stories to illustrate the importance of reclaiming this process so that we can communicate with each other and take on grief together without being shellshocked by a seemingly sudden transition of a loved one. Dr. Mannix champions the idea of developing these communication skills and not shying away from these types of conversations, both for the public as well as health professionals.
Dr. Nadia Chaudhri, described as a force of nature, was a neuroscientist from Montreal who, when diagnosed with ovarian cancer, decided to share her palliative journey and amassed a worldwide audience. While undergoing treatment she set up a GoFundMe to raise money to help support marginalized or underrepresented young scientists. It raised $50,000 USD on the first day. Concordia University, inspired by their researcher’s bravery, set up the Nadia Chaudhri Wingspan Award which became an annual scholarship available to underrepresented neuroscientists and has since become so successful the university is expanding the scholarship.
Inspirational women exist in all facets of society, but it is truly inspiring to highlight just a few of the women who have had a hand in bringing the realities of palliative care to light for both the public and people within the industry. Before Dame Saunders, the extent of care for the dying was limited to pain killers. Through the work and experience of people like Saunders, Winemaker, Mannix, and Chaudhri, the dialogue surrounding the care and treatment of those receiving a life-limiting diagnosis is being opened and people are learning about what this means to them in new and innovative ways.
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