When Joseph received devastating news about his health, he shared something deeply important to him.
‘I was thinking about writing a book about my life, but I feel I’ve run out of time. I don’t want my stories to die with me.’
Our local care team quickly reached out to Sandra, a HammondCare volunteer Life Stories writer, who could visit Joseph at short notice.
Then when Joseph required hospitalisation after a fall, the need to capture his story became even more urgent. Sandra continued visiting, sitting at his bedside as he shared details of his remarkable life, starting with arriving in Australia by ship from war torn Europe at just four years old.
‘He told me wonderful stories, especially the 32 years he worked as a bus driver, meeting different people every day. That’s also where he met the love of his life, Josephine.’
She adds: ‘Now he knows it’s all there in one place for his family to read – now and in the future.’
HammondCare’s Life Stories program, funded by Hammond Foundation, connects clients, patients and residents with trained volunteer writers to capture their personal stories, achievements and treasured moments. Since the program was launched in 2023, 248 Life Stories have been completed.
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