Ahmedabad: In the quiet wards of the Community Oncology Centre and Hospice in Vasna area of Ahmedabad, where many come to find dignity in death, a heartbreaking story of love, loss, and resilience unfolded in June. A woman in her late forties, ravaged by mouth cancer and years of isolation, spent her final days not just fighting the disease, but worrying about the one person she had left—her eight-year-old son.She had once defied her family for love, choosing a marriage that alienated her from her roots. Years later, when her husband died of an illness, she reached out to her estranged family, hoping for support. But the doors remained closed. Alone, she fought cancer while raising her son. As the disease advanced and drained her savings, the hospice became her last refuge.On June 12, she lost that battle. Her child, now truly alone, had nowhere to go. For days, the hospice staff became his temporary family. Moved by his plight, they sprang into action—not as medical workers, but as human beings determined to protect his future.“We knew we had to do something,” said Dr Geeta Joshi, who retired as the hospice’s CEO just weeks later. “We considered observation homes, but he was too old. We then approached the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of the district when we got to know that some of his documents would be required. Staff members ran around to gather necessary records and documents from his native place,” she said. “A city-based school and foundation agreed to admit him and support him in the journey at the end of June for the upcoming academic year. It was a heart-warming development for all involved.”**Component II**‘Hospice teaches us more about life than Death’Parth.Shastri@timesofindia.comAhmedabad: For Dr Geeta Joshi, who recently retired as the CEO of the Gujarat Cancer Society-run Community Oncology Centre and Hospice in Vasna, it’s not just the years of service that she reflects on—it’s the stories. Among them is that of Rajesh (name changed), a 55-year-old artist, even in his final days, brought life and colour to the hospice’s quiet corridors.“Rajesh was an artist who chose to see life through vibrant colours. While he was with us for less than a month, he spent his days giving drawing lessons, making portraits, and making the most of the limited time he had,” said Dr Joshi. “Five of his works are still with us, reminding us that hospices often teach us more about life than death.”Dr Joshi began her medical career as an anaesthetist, but her close association with cancer patients gradually led her to palliative care. Over the years, she became a key figure in building Gujarat’s palliative care framework, helping establish training programmes and nurturing a dedicated cadre of doctors and nurses across the state.“Today, Gujarat has several palliative care centres catering to terminally ill cancer patients. But it’s not just about the patients—it’s also about their families, caregivers, and support systems. We encourage those with family to spend their final days at home, but there are also many who have no one. For them, we become their family,” said Dr Joshi, who is also the president of the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC).The hospice in Vasna receives around 500 patients every year from across the country. “The focus of the staff is to ensure medical and emotional support to patients. Death is part of the conversation and counselling, and we have noticed that it is easier to talk about it from the Indian philosophical point of view, where we do not see it as the end of the journey. But more importantly, they engage in life-affirming activities. Their approach encourages us all,” she said.