July 24th 2023.
On Monday’s Morning Live, Jonnie Irwin, the 49-year-old TV presenter, joined Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones via video chat on the BBC programme to open up about his experiences with palliative care. With Dr Ranj Singh also present to speak about palliative care from a medical expert’s point of view, Jonnie explained that he has been using palliative care for three years, after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer which spread to his brain.
He shared his positive experience of his hospice, saying, “My hospice is a delight actually. I wouldn’t say it’s like a hotel, but it’s like a very nice private hospital. It’s spacious, energised, comfortable. It’s even got a jacuzzi bath, en suite rooms. The staff are just amazing. I’ve had a really good experience of my hospice.”
When asked what advice he would give to people in a similar situation to his own, Jonnie encouraged others to “embrace it” before recalling his first experience of being a day patient in a hospice for a blood transfusion. He urged people to “check out the hospice – if you’ve got the choice of using it, then use it.”
The A Place In The Sun star has been praised for speaking out about his experiences and encouraging others to consider treatment in hospices. On Twitter, he was commended for dispelling misconceptions that members of the public might have about hospices.
Jonnie also explained that his hospice is ‘majority funded privately’, with most of the money used to fund it coming from efforts such as charity shops and raising money through activities such as skydives. He stressed that “you have a right to a choice of a hospice if you so wish” and encouraged people to at least explore the option.
Jonnie Irwin’s message has been widely praised and commended for helping to raise awareness of palliative care and dispelling myths about hospices. He has shown that with the right care and support, people can still make the most of life in the face of terminal cancer.
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