The family of Helen Wells admits they “didn’t know much about hospice” until their mum and wife were referred to Rotorua Community Hospice in 2018. Her daughter Amanda Wells said about hospice, “I had no idea about the love and care they could give. I knew they were coming to do a job, but they were such loving, caring people they treated mum like she was the only person they had to look after.”
Helen’s early years consisted of farm life, horses, and school in the Hawkes Bay. Then after university in Otago Helen moved to Rotorua and worked as a physiotherapist. She was introduced to Jeremy who was to help her make friends, it wasn’t long before they were an item, and soon after meeting, married and had their children, Amanda and Geoff. A close family they all enjoyed activities on their farm. Helen especially enjoyed working in her extensive garden, which was included in the Rotorua Festival of Gardens seven times. Amanda remembers that her mum volunteered for several causes, including Riding for the Disabled and was on the scholarship committee of her former school Woodford House. She was also hugely involved in equestrian sports, particularly eventing and dressage. Through equestrian sports, she helped write and judge dressage, all around the Bay of Plenty and Taupō. She loved giving back to the sport that she loved.
Helen was a devoted mother and grandmother, or “Lucy” as her six grandchildren called her. Amanda recalls “she was incredibly patient, she would stand out on the tennis court and hit balls to the kids. She’d stand there for hours and the balls would go everywhere else, except at her”.
Helen was first diagnosed with cancer in 2011, with therapy and surgery she eventually recovered but was told it would likely come back in a few years. And unfortunately, it did in early 2018. Through all her treatments and terrible pain, her friends and family were astounded by her positivity. She had some issues with her first surgery and “she went to great lengths to have a good diet and eat the right things. She did everything she could. She did things that would help avoid those types of issues going forward”.
In August 2018, Helen’s pain was unbearable. Her husband Jeremy says, “She was in the hospital twice, they couldn’t get it under control.” She was sent to Waikato Hospital and that’s when they first came into contact with a hospice team, Hospice Waikato helped Helen with pain management while she was in Hamilton.
When she got back home to Rotorua, she was referred to Rotorua Community Hospice. Jeremy remembers the hospice team coming into their home “like a member of the family, and they know that Helen is lying next door and only going to die, it’s not like it is at a hospital where 99% of the patients get well again. But they said it’s not about that. It’s an extraordinary mindset they have.” Geoff added, “It takes a special kind of person, doesn’t it, to look past the obvious that’s going to happen, just too completely put that aside and carry on, it’s incredible.”
Helen and Jeremy later moved from their farm to a house they built in Rotorua central. Helen curated a garden that became her sanctuary. In the latter stages of her cancer, Jeremy would take photos to show her of how the garden was looking, and what had flowered. Her bedroom overlooked a significant part of the garden so that she could still enjoy it while in bed. She died there, surrounded by her beloved family at the end of 2018.
Helen’s family has supported Rotorua Community Hospice since Helen was referred. First with donations to Hospice Shop, and with their family business Kilwell Sports and Kilwell Fibrelab supporting several Rotorua Community Hospice events. Amanda is part of Seeds of Support, the hospice’s regular giving programme too.
Kilwell took over the running of the hospice golf classic in 2021, successfully raising over $21,000 in their first year of organising the event. They’ve also been a couple sponsor for Harcourts Dancing for Hospice for several years. Kilwell works really hard to support hospice. Amanda says Kilwell and the Wells family support hospice “because of what hospice gave to us. It’s the most incredible thing. To be able to give back in any way we can, until you experience it first-hand, you don’t know.”
Geoff added, “Most people don’t know, could never comprehend. None of us knew what they did in the first place but then you go through it, and you have to be going through it to really appreciate what they do. Otherwise, it’s hard to explain. I sort of feel like we owe it to them, but at the same time we support hospice so they can do the same for another family.”