Talks and Presentations
"I just wanted to thank you so much for your brilliant presentation which was really heartfelt but also a huge learning for us as professionals.
Hearing personal accounts really puts end of life care into perspective and helps to stop people making assumptions about what is best for patients and carers more importantly
it helps professionals to be more objective during clinical decision making. We have still got a long way to go but this sort of presentation needs to continue."
Since Melissa passed away I have given several talks to personnel at the Queen's Hospital, Burton on Trent and also to groups of Bereavement Counsellors. I have also given a talk to a group of young venture scouts and in September of this year I spoke to a group of over 100 registrars from the West Midlands Health Authority. Below are just some of the events I was invited to speak at in 2011 . . .
|
Invited to speak at "One Chance to Get it Right" Training seminar in Birmingham for the National Council Palliative Care - 10th October |
Gave a talk to over one hundred Registrars at Birmingham Hospital on End of Life Care - 13th September |
|
Talked to Community Nurses on End of Life Care - 18th August |
Attended Meeting on National End of Life Care Project at Good Hope Hospital - 15th September |
|
Invited to speak at West Midlands Lymphoma Association Support Group Meeting - 17th July 2011 |
Invited to visit the Teenage Cancer Trust with a view to using our experience to work with them - 27th July |
|
Invited to speak to Bereavement and Social Care Staff at CLIC Sargent on the effects of Bereavement and Grief - Tuesday 24th May |
Invited down to the Houses of Parliament to a reception hosted by John Baron MP, Chair of the APPG for Cancer - Wednesday 15th June 2011 |
|
Attended 'Nothing About Me Without Me' How to Involve people in End of Life Care in London - Tuesday 5th April |
Invited to visit Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute Liverpool and attend a forum - Wednesday 25th May |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The talks are based on various aspects of our experience and can be tailored to suit a particular audience.
Just a few of the comments below following presentations I've given on End of Life Care and Bereavement & Grief...
The groups have always given very positive feedback and have reflected on their care because of what you have said.
I'm writing to give you an enormous thank you for your contribution to yesterday's training day. You'll probably have gathered that I was a bit worried about how the morning would go with a large, and sometimes critical audience. But it went off wonderfully with you providing exactly the personal illumination I was looking for. My thanks, and that of the West Midlands Deanery, to you for the time, effort and skill.
"Ian, your talk was amazing and it was a reflection of the real world about getting feedback from carers.
It was a very moving experience and I honour your drive and passion to be able to share something so personal with us"
"Ian was truly inspiring and everyone was very moved"
Hello Ian, I was at the talk you gave today at Burton Hospital and would just like to say a huge thank you for sharing your story with us.
I will definitely benefit from what you shared with us about end of life care and cannot thank you enough. I think what your doing is amazing and you are a big inspiration. Kind Regards
"What you had to say really impacted me especially in regard to my own family history.
Thank you for your willingness to share so openly. I have no doubt that you are a means of great help to many."
"Thank you so much for the talk last night. I have received very positive feedback from our bereavement support workers."
"You are doing a fantastic amount of fundraising for this good cause following the tragic loss of your daughter back in May 2008. The work you are doing in both raising money and talking to staff about end of life care is no doubt appreciated by many more people than you realise."
There have been several articles regarding fund raising, student benefit issues etc in the Burton Mail and these can be found by clicking here and typing
Melissa Leech into the search option.
End of Life Care - Our personal experience
The End of Life talk gives a brief history of the illness, from the point of diagnosis to the day we were told that nothing more could be done for Melissa. It then focuses on the six weeks that followed. Melissa's end of life care was excellent and this presentation charts the story of that time. It focuses on the Liverpool Care Pathway, the role of the District Nurses, the local GP and the carer. I have given these talks to local hospitals and have recently become very involved with the National Council for Palliative Care ( www.ncpc.org.uk ) and the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute Liverpool ( www.liv.ac.uk/mcpcil/ )
Bereavement and Grief - "I Can't Imagine"
We started grieving the moment we were told that nothing more could be done for Melissa, maybe even before that. In the three years since Melissa passed away life has changed beyond recognition. We've changed as people. Some people's attitudes have changed towards us. This talk gives an insight into life without our daughter, how we deal with the grief and how grief can hit you when you least expect it. I have given this talk to hospice bereavement staff and also staff at CLIC Sargent.
Fighting the Government
When Melissa decided to suspend her university studies for a year, she applied for financial support from the government. We quickly found out that she wasn't entitled to Income Support and the benefits she could apply for weren't a given, the awarding of them depended on how ill she was and with both Incapacity and Disabled Living Allowance there was a six month wait. And so began a 2 year fight with the government to change the law so that student's with long term illnesses who suspend their studies to recover are entitled to benefits. This talk is based on the campaign to change the law and how one person can make a difference.
Caring
Melissa went from student to patient in a matter of weeks and the change of environment takes a lot of getting used to. My wife and I were suddenly thrust into the world of carer and life changed beyond all recognition. This talk covers life as a carer and the impact on your life. It tells of how we tried to keep things normal, when they were anything but normal and ultimately caring for a terminally ill child.
To Inspire is within us all
Since Mel passed away I have devoted a lot of my time to raising awareness of Lymphoma and also raising funds for the Lymphoma Association. This presentation talks about my various cycle rides, the training, the highs, the lows and the sense of achievement when you cross the finish line and reach your target! It also covers other work that I am doing in memory of Melissa, including working with medical professionals, setting up a blood donor drive and how we're making the most of a terrible time. Truly inspiring.
One Day at a Time
Based on our book, One Day at a Time ~ Mel's Story, this talk portrays Mel's illness from the summer of 2007 until the day of her funeral in May 2008 and follows the journey we took. It includes extracts from the book and in particular certain events in Mel's own words. It also demonstrates how we can take positives from even the most desperate events and times.
The talks can be tailored to suit organisational needs and can last up to two hours. I do not charge for my time, but will, on certain occasions ask that travel expenses be reimbursed.
For further information please contact me at ian@mad4mel.co.uk