Volunteers Find Joy Helping Patients at Life's End

When Hazel Bulger started visiting her 86-year-old neighbor Eric once a week, she didn't expect the experience to change how she lives her own life. But spending time with the cancer patient taught her something powerful: confronting death can actually help us appreciate being alive.

Bulger is one of 1,600 volunteers at St Peter's Hospice in Bristol who serve as "hospice neighbors" to people facing terminal illness. After losing both her parents suddenly in her twenties, the 44-year-old chiropractor wanted to give back by supporting others at life's end.

"I think opening yourself up to end of life can actually allow you to live fully," Bulger told BBC Radio Bristol. Each visit with Eric, who calls her a "blessing," reminds her to notice small moments like light streaming through his magnolia tree.

The hospice neighbor program takes a unique approach to end-of-life care. Instead of focusing on illness, volunteers help patients reconnect with who they were before their diagnosis. They share stories, enjoy hobbies together, and simply offer companionship during a difficult time.

At Swindon's Great Western Hospital, another group called "butterfly volunteers" brings similar comfort to dying patients on hospital wards. Over the past year, they've visited nearly 600 people and spent 800 hours at bedsides, playing music, reading aloud, or just sitting quietly.

The program, run by the Anne Robson Trust, ensures nobody has to die alone. Volunteer coordinator Tanya Stubbs explained that many volunteers are retired nurses or people who want to honor loved ones they've lost.

The butterfly volunteers also provide crucial support to families who struggle to leave their loved one's bedside. They offer respite so family members can rest, eat, or simply take a break from the emotional weight of those final days.

For the volunteers themselves, the work brings unexpected rewards. Stubbs said they gain a sense of belonging and the satisfaction of treating people as people, not just patients. They listen to life stories and help families celebrate the person, not just mourn the loss.

Eric, living alone after his wife's death and recovering from a serious accident, knows how valuable that presence can be. His weekly visits with Bulger give him both practical support and meaningful connection.

Why This Inspires

These volunteers are confronting what many of us fear most and finding beauty in it. They're proving that sitting with someone in their most vulnerable moments doesn't diminish life but enriches it. By helping others face death with dignity and companionship, they're learning to embrace every moment they have. It's a reminder that our capacity for compassion grows when we're brave enough to show up for each other, even in the hardest times.

Across England, hundreds of ordinary people are choosing to spend their free time this way, turning the end of life into something a little less scary and a lot more human.