A woman with terminal cancer has devoted her final months to helping relatives of dying patients be with their loved ones on their death bed.
Linda Fryer, 70, lives in Gozo and during her trips for treatment at the Oncology Centre in Mater Dei, she noticed that Gozitan relatives of cancer patients had to cross between the islands every day as their loved one lay dying.
“I would speak to these people and one Gozitan once told me that she couldn’t be with her loved one the moment they died because that day the rough sea forced the ferry to stop working and she was stuck in Gozo,” Fryer said.
“This and the other harsh realities that I witnessed compelled me to do something.”
Gozo does not yet offer palliative care, so people with terminal illnesses must be treated in Malta if their condition does not allow them to spend their last days at home.
This is why Fryer teamed up with Hospice Malta for a campaign called Live it Now. The aim is to raise funds so that the palliative care NGO can offer accommodation in Malta for Gozitan relatives.
Relatives would typically need the accommodation for a few days, from the time hospital staff inform them that their loved one has really neared the end, she said.
Fryer’s initiative has won her a nomination for the first edition of the Pride of Gozo Awards, which will acknowledge selfless residents of Gozo who are going out of their way to help their community become a better place.
Nominations for the awards are open till December 16 and anyone can nominate someone whom they believe deserves recognition.
Linda has a terminal illness herself. She was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer three years ago. Back then, doctors gave her three to five years to live, and time is running out fast.
“The cancer has spread to my skin, bones and lymph nodes. It’s everywhere now, and there’s no going back” she says with a chuckle.
How could anyone chuckle when faced daily with death? It’s not the cancer, she says. You cannot be positive about the cancer. But you can be positive about life.
“And if you know that life is limited, you want to spend it in the most positive way possible,” she said, smiling again.
“I don’t want to be sad in the little time I have left. I want to live happily. And every day, when I wake up I say ‘wow, I have another day’.”
I have enough time to make a good life
A stage four cancer means the disease has gone beyond curable. The patient becomes terminal and is given treatment until they die. Linda calls it “prolonged death”. Doctors do not know how much time Linda has left but she says it does not matter.
“I have as much life in me as I need to have,” she said.
“I have enough time to make a good life and I’m very fortunate that I am not in pain. But I do fear death, if I’m honest. I fear the pain that might come with it.”
Linda was first diagnosed with breast cancer 25 years ago. When it was time for her to stop treatment in 2017, she thought she was out of the woods, only to be diagnosed again two years later.
“Hospice are very good at what they do. They looked after me extraordinarily well and I’m happy that my cause is contributing to their work,” she said.
All the money collected is being passed to the NGO so it can provide the necessary free accommodation to Gozo residents who need it.
“And it’s not just cancer. It could be anyone dying of any terminal illness, like heart or kidney disease.”
Linda’s campaign has brought together around 200 people from Malta, Gozo, South Africa, Britain, France, Portugal, Columbia and Italy to organise fundraising events for the cause.
“I’m even more excited about the relationships we’re building than the money we’re raising. I may have had an idea but it’s the people who are supporting it who are actually making it happen,” she said.
“We’ve done several walks and we published a calendar featuring cancer survivors as well, and there is more in the pipeline. Whatever and whenever, the end will be and I can’t just sit and wait, wallowing in self-pity,” Linda said in one final thought.
“I have endured cancer and the threat of recurrence for 25 years and now it’s time to give back and to support those queuing up behind me. It’s time to be reflective and strong and strive to be optimistic for positive research that will benefit future generations from all cancers. It’s time to live it now!”
Pride of Gozo Awards
The Pride of Gozo Awards are being organised by the Rotary Club of Gozo and are being sponsored by the Ministry for Gozo in association with Times of Malta.
The award ceremony will be held early next year but nominations are still open till December 16. Nominations can be sent by e-mail to secretary@rotarygozo.org with the name and not more than 200 words describing why the person deserves to receive an award.
Among the nominees so far are beloved Xewkija family doctor John Xuereb Dingli, inspiring entrepreneur Abraham Said and courageous tug boat captain Kenneth Grima, who helped rescue a chemical tanker that went out of control in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq earlier this year.
The Rotary Club of Gozo is one of the smallest of the 15,000 rotary clubs in over 145 countries. Their members perform duties of service and raise funds for their communities.