St Vincent’s Private Hospital Toowoomba are honoured to recently receive a cuddle bed and syringe driver through the Belinda McGowan Foundation in conjunction with St Vincent’s Foundation Queensland, generously funded by patient, Darryl Brooks.
Darryl sadly lost his beloved son to cancer in 2022 and is now facing his own terminal cancer diagnosis. His heartfelt wish is to bring comfort to other families by giving them the chance to share closeness and connection through the healing power of touch.
This cuddle bed will be placed in their Palliative Care Wing in St Raphael’s, allowing patients to spend precious moments of love, comfort, and closeness with their families and friends in their final days.
Darryl spoke with deep gratitude for the care he’s received during his time as an inpatient at St Vincent’s- expressing his appreciation for our nursing, kitchen, cleaning, and admin teams. He has touched the hearts of so many of our staff with his kindness, gratitude, and radiant smile, even on his toughest days.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in the cuddle bed presentation, especially Bruce and Tracy from the Belinda McGowan Foundation, whose support has been truly incredible. Also, St Vincent’s Foundation Queensland leadership, Sr Clare Nolan and Anna Herbert for being part of the presentation.
And to Darryl, thank you for this extraordinary gift. Because of this donation, many of our palliative patients will be able to spend their final days with those they love and cherish, right by their side 💙💜
Darryl’s generosity reminds us that even in life’s most difficult moments, compassion has the power to bring peace and connection. His wish to help others experience closeness in their final days is a lasting legacy of love and humanity. Through this gift, countless families will find comfort and togetherness when it matters most.
If you’d like to honour Darryl’s generosity and support palliative care services, please consider donating to St Vincent’s Foundation Queensland. 💙💜
