Xavier

It's quite fulfilling when you could talk about your voluntary work in your workplace and even relate what you preached in your voluntary work to your workplace work.

Even though I play the research role in the team, my work did not just encompass research, but operations, and any other miscellaneous things that the good doctor's friends need help in. That day, I was minding my own business; practically on fire finishing up my 101 things that was supposed to be completed the previous week, furiously replying emails, and making a list of to-do the following day in my head, when my colleague's boss (from another programme) approached me to write an article for Hospice Link, a newsletter who is published and disseminated to the rest of the department once in 2 months.

Oh well... Life is full of surprises and this is just a small one. Have you heard of advance care planning? Briefly described, it is an ongoing documented discussion between you, your family, and the healthcare providers on your future care preferences. In the event when you become mentally incapacitated and/or lose the ability to communicate your thoughts to others, the medical team and your family members could refer to your advance care plan as a guide to make certain healthcare decisions based on your preferences. 

Take for example: in my advance care plan discussion, I told the healthcare provider that I do not wish to be resuscitated or be subjected to any life-prolonging treatment(s) in the event when I become decisionally incapacitated. Hence at the time of crisis (and my condition is irreversible), the medical team would follow my wishes of not resuscitating me and let me die peacefully.

Xavier – A symbol of bravery and willpower

By Toh Hui Jin

KTPH Palliative Care Service

"The rescue of Xavier is just one of the estimated 200 rescues that Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD) Singapore undertakes on a yearly basis. To us, the volunteers, every rescue is precious and unique. Every rescue leaves behind a story, but not quite like Xavier’s. Xavier’s legacy is one that is infused with an awe-inspiring bravery – a story intricately woven by sheer resilience and willpower.

Xavier and his sister Xenia were merely one-month old puppies when they were found abandoned in a rubbish dump in May 2014. They were left stranded by negligent breeders who deemed them as surplus additions after a failed breeding exercise.

Just as we were on the verge of giving Xavier a new lease of life by sending him to a foster home, tragedy struck as he was diagnosed with canine distemper – an incurable viral illness common amongst domestic dogs that attacks their gastrointestinal and respiratory tracks.

Despite his predicament, Xavier was a calm and shy boy. He would spend his days sitting by his fosterer’s side, very much contented to receive the warmth and love of a family he never had. However, this was a short-lived happiness, for his health started to decline. He was unable to lie down without feeling pain. In addition, he had difficulty breathing and he suffered from occasional seizures.

Day after day, we would contemplate with the idea of ending his misery by putting him down, as the thought of seeing him go through so much discomfort was unbearable. There were numerous questions that continued to jab at our conscience. How could we bring ourselves to end a life so precious and young, a life, which had not yet experienced the beauty of this world? Naturally, guilt and irony sank in. As volunteers, we always give it our all to rescue dogs that lie on the brink of being euthanized, but now we ourselves were being placed in an unfavorable dilemma. There were even instances where we wished we could transcend the communication barrier and speak with Xavier so that we would be able to act according to his interests and fulfill his heart’s desires.

We placed him in a hospice environment that was fabricated out of his fosterer’s house, as we wanted him to be cared for as close to home as possible. In Xavier, we saw a burning desire to live fueled by a hope that he was tenaciously holding onto, something so dear to his heart that he could not let it slip by. However, with time, the liveliness in his eyes started to drift away. He started responding to us lesser and his food intake became meager.

Although most of us were rooting for his recovery, we knew in our hearts that we were slowly losing him. The idea of engaging an animal communicator struck us as we did not wish to miss out on what Xavier wished to tell us before he breathed his last. Through the animal communicator, Xavier expressed his last wish, which was to find a home he could finally call his own. He said it had been a pity that he had been unwanted since he was born, and he truly hoped that he could belong to a family that would love and accept him for who he was. Towards the last stages of his life, his fosterer brought him to a park, and in the presence of a volunteer, she signed the adoption papers and made Xavier a family member officially. Not long after that, Xavier slipped away from us, slowly and peacefully. 

A vet nurse and a compassionate group of volunteers formed the bulk of the team, which administered the in-residence hospice care for Xavier. They offered a 24-hour care support system in providing pain and symptoms management. Xavier was tirelessly cared for till the very moment he passed on. Realizing his impending fate, preparing for a peaceful and painless sending off for him became our topmost priority. Xavier had shared with us his deepest desires and we were glad that we were able to fulfill his wishes and provide for him till the very end."

When it was published, my colleague who went around distributing this newsletter to the department dogeared this article, and I think it created some awareness about adopting homeless dogs! Other than the small doctor wanting to volunteer, the good doctor's friend took his kids to one of our adoption drives. They patted Ratchy and thank god, he likes them, or my appraisal will be a goner. Hahaha!