Mackay man Les Hastie remained stoic and grateful for his family's support and medical care as he battled significant health challenges in recent years.
Diagnosed with severe kidney disease and pancreatic cancer, a strong support system and the expert medical care and empathy of staff at Mackay Base Hospital helped Les and his family navigate the complexities of his treatment and subsequent emotional toll.
After his passing last month and as part of his family’s healing journey, his wife Wendy and daughter Renae German visited the palliative care and renal unit teams to present a token of their appreciation for his dedicated and excellent care.
“Dad had been a regular patient at the Mackay Hospital and Health Service (HHS) over the last couple of years receiving care for his stage four kidney disease and more recently pancreatic cancer,” Renae said.
“As part of the healing process, my Mum wanted to show her thanks to the two main teams he received care from; the palliative care team and the renal unit support team under Dr Wu. We were able to visit both teams and deliver a little thank you basket of treats as well as get some photos with the staff.
“Throughout Dad’s health journey, he also received excellent care and support through ED, F2 and G0 and we wanted to say thank you and highlight the wonderful work the clinical staff here are doing for their patients and also their carers.”
Les and Wendy had been travelling for three years across the top of Australia and down to Perth when some routine health checks saw him diagnosed with stage four kidney disease a few years ago.
Knowing he would eventually require dialysis, they returned home to Mackay to be closer to their network of family and friends and he was referred under the care of specialist Dr Danielle Wu and the renal unit at the Base to monitor, educate and support him. He managed to maintain his kidney health and avoid dialysis, but 18 months later began experiencing new symptoms including weight loss, nausea and jaundice. After multiple tests and investigations, Les was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
He was transferred to Townsville Hospital to have surgery to have a stent inserted but his poor kidney health meant further surgery or chemotherapy was not an option.
Renae said the news caused Les and his family great sadness and anxiety, but they were reassured Les would be well cared for throughout his palliative journey.
“Dad continued his kidney care under Dr Wu and the renal support team via regular outpatient appointments and was also receiving regular home visits from the palliative team’s doctor, nurses, social worker and occupational therapist.
“This care allowed him to continue to stay in the comfort of his home and to manage his symptoms and avoid having to attend appointments at the hospital. As his condition deteriorated, he was also offered home supports such as a specialised recliner chair, wheelchair and shower chair for him to be able to maintain his routine lifestyle.”
Les’s health continued to decline in early 2025 and he presented many times to the Emergency Department (ED) at Mackay Base Hospital and was admitted to wards including G0 and F2 while receiving care from the renal and palliative care teams.
“While we could see the staff were extremely busy and under pressure, the care he received in ED and on these wards was exceptional and he was always shown great empathy and compassion,” Renae said.
“A cancer diagnosis is always a shock to both the patient and their family and also brings great anxiety and uncertainty, however, throughout his cancer journey Les would regularly comment ‘I’ve got everyone looking after me’ and he was amazed at how much support he and his wife were offered.”
Sadly, Les passed away last month.
“The loss of a family member always brings great sadness, but our family will be forever grateful for the care and treatment Les received from all of the Queensland Health staff involved along his cancer journey.”
