Elderly cancer patient breaks down as she leaves family home for final time

A heartbreaking episode of Channel 10 series Ambulance Australia shows the emotional moment an elderly cancer patient leaves her family home for the final time, as she is transferred to hospital to see out her final days.

Episode three of the documentary series, which airs this evening, shows mother-of-four Maria being transferred to palliative care from the home she shares with husband Vince in Caboolture in south east Queensland.

Maria is suffering from merkel cell carcinoma – which is a rare form of skin cancer – and, according to her daughter Elizabeth, is in the final stages as the cancer has spread rapidly throughout her ailing body.

The mother-of-four had been cared for at home, however she made the decision to spend her final days in hospital rather than relying on Vince, 85, and her four adult daughters to look after her at home.

“It’s a sad moment,” her daughter Elizabeth tells Queensland paramedics Andrew and Jan, who are also life partners, as they arrive at the property.

“We always knew she was going in … We’ve been caring for her at home but she made the decision a few weeks ago that she would like to go to palliative care when it all became too much.”

As Andrew prepares Maria for the short journey to hospital, the looming realisation that she may never see the home in which she raised a family again seemingly becomes too much for Maria as she breaks down in tears in Elizabeth’s arms. Maria’s devoted husband Vince can also be seen fighting back tears as his wife gets ready to leave in the waiting ambulance.

“It’s an absolute privilege to go into these people’s houses,” Andrew says. “Being there at the start of a life, but also being there at the end of a life.”

Maria – who moved to Australia from Italy as a young bride having married Vince by proxy – is then seen being wheeled out of her home before she is strapped onto a stretcher and into the back of the ambulance, with Elizabeth by her side every step of the way.

But as the emergency vehicle pulls off the drive, taking Maria on her final journey, husband Vince can be seen pacing in the front garden as he waits for his daughter Gloria to take him to the hospital to be reunited with his sweetheart.

As the ambulance makes its way to the hospital, Andrew makes a sweet gesture as he pulls the ambulance over to allow Maria to spend some time with her daughter by the ocean. The selfless paramedics are even seen finding a peaceful spot in the shade to set down Maria’s stretcher.

“Why I became a paramedic in the first place is to help people,” Andrew says. “And if we can make someone feel more comfortable, whether it be through emotional or psychological support, that’s a huge part of it.”

He then adds: “Life can sometimes be so short. To be able to live a good life and have a good ending of that life is so important.”

Maria passed away two days after being admitted to hospital, surrounded by her loving family.

You can watch Ambulance Australia at 7.30pm on Thursday on Channel 10.