In 2012, six years after suffering kidney failure, Pat started ongoing dialysis treatment, which she described as “like having a part time job”.

Dialysis patients spend hours and hours every week hooked up to machines to do the job their kidneys can no longer do for them. Patients are dependent on the treatment to survive, which means they can never be far from a dialysis machine.

Pat used her time on dialysis constructively; she was a prolific knitter and many in the Dialysis Team have dressed their children and grandchildren in clothes Pat knitted for them. Pat became part of the family and would make sure a good morning tea of donuts was regularly available for the team.

Pat’s son, Simon Massey, says the care his mum received from the Dialysis Team meant she enjoyed many years of joy. “From watching her grandchildren grow and graduate from universities, to watching them marry, and seeing great-grandchildren be born; she was able to watch her fourth generation family expand.”

Sadly Pat passed away last year, but not without remembering the Dialysis Team who took care of her. Pat left a generous legacy to help seed fund a project to give more freedom to dialysis patients.

Simon and his brother Phil recently met at the dialysis unit to discuss how Pat’s legacy could be used to ensure an enduring memory of their mum, and leave a lasting impression for others.

“Mum wanted to help dialysis patients become freer to see family and travel, so she kindly left a gift to the Dialysis Team. She wished to help kickstart a project, which we hope to see benefit all future patients.”

Simon adds, “We’ll never forget the Dialysis Team; they are a second family to us all.”

The team is humbled by Pat’s generosity and grateful to her family for making this happen.