Thatcham family continue Kindness vs Cancer campaign for late mother Laura Kendrick
A Thatcham mother, calling for compassion in healthcare, lost her battle with bowel cancer on February 22.
Laura Kendrick, head of HR for NHS England and NHS Improvement South East, had lived in the town since childhood and then with her husband of 12 years.
The mother of two boys, aged eight and 11, also lived with her two teenage nieces who, along with their older sister, lost their mother Zoe, Laura’s sister-in law, to secondary breast cancer a year after her diagnosis.
Laura’s family say that the two had similar experiences during their treatment.
In April 2020, Mrs Kendrick’s professional commitment to radically improve a patient’s experience, became profoundly aligned on a much deeper, and more personal level, when she was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer.
Her family said she had received a brief yet life changing phone call from her oncologist which took her to “rock bottom” one month into her diagnosis.
Despite the family’s loss, the #KindnessVsCancer campaign, which also saw the release of song ‘Hope Engulfs Us’ written and performed by close friend Sion Whiley, will continue, in a bid to tackle what Mrs Kendrick had experienced as the “current mechanistic and systemic approach” to cancer care.
It is seeking to revolutionise the current approach, by raising funds for the NHS oncology teams to receive training which places compassion and empathy at the heart of their interactions, from diagnosis through treatment and beyond.
It also aims to highlight the innate connection between the mind and body and contextualise this in relation to the mental health of cancer patients and its physiological impact on their bodies.
Mrs Kendrick had said: “The conversations we have with our medical teams can dictate our life or death and as cancer patients we tend to hang on our doctor’s every word at such a fearful time for an individual experiencing a diagnosis.
“While I have utter respect and gratitude for the work of the overstretched NHS, sadly, these conversations too often lack compassion, humanity and hope.
“The impact on a patient’s mental, and therefore physical, health can be devastating and perpetuate an even worse prognosis.”
Having experienced first-hand the impact of a health care sector in desperate need of a more progressive approach, her life’s work had become about transforming outcomes for cancer patients by creating awareness of the mind body connection.
Supporter of the campaign, and author of The Five Effects of Kindess, Dr David Hamilton said: "Kindness benefits mental health. Research shows that it can improve happiness and even serve as an antidote to depression.
“Research also shows that high empathy doctors help reduce anxiety and distress levels in patients.”
Mrs Kendrick’s family said: “Laura was a very kind, loving, caring and inspirational person who will be greatly missed by her family, friends and work colleagues.
“Her memory will live on through her family and also through her amazing campaign #KindnessVsCancer.”
The family has thanked the staff at The Royal Berkshire Hospital acute medical unit for their care and understanding. They also thanked the oncology and chemotherapy nurses at both Royal Berkshire and The Rosemary Centre at West Berkshire Hospitals and the Newbury Cancer Care and Sue Ryder nurses based at the hospital.
The family were also very grateful that Mrs Kendrick was able to spend her last remaining days at West Berkshire Hospital in one of their Rainbow Rooms. They said that all the staff there went above and beyond to ensure not only Mrs Kendrick’s comfort, but also support for her family at that very difficult time.
More details on the campaign can be found on the Kindess vs Cancer website https://www.kindnessvscancer.co.uk
The song can also be found on the website here https://www.kindnessvscancer.co.uk/hope-engulfs-us-song
Donations can be made on the family’s Just Giving page https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/laura-kendrick