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DonateBakshish Singh Jamla's story
“Compton Care Brought Peace to the End of Our Father’s Life”
When our father was diagnosed with cancer, our family found ourselves facing one of the most difficult periods of our lives. What followed was a journey of love, resilience and devotion, supported every step of the way by Compton Care.
Today, the family of Bakshish Singh Jamla hopes that by sharing his story, other families facing terminal illness will know that they are not alone.
A devoted family man
Before his illness, Mr Jamla was everything a man of his generation could hope to be.
A devoted husband for 45 years, a proud grandfather to eight grandchildren, and a gifted singer and musician, he had spent his life surrounded by family, friendship and music.
Approaching retirement, he was looking forward to spending more time enjoying life at home, tending to his garden and creating memories with the people he loved most.
“Our father was exactly what a man of his age could hope to be,” said Baneeta. “Independent and proud, he was looking forward to the joyful times ahead with his family.”
Facing cancer
At first, he chose to keep his diagnosis private.
The treatment journey was gruelling. Following extensive testing and a ten-hour operation to remove part of his bowel, he embraced a renewed appreciation for life. He was able to drive again, ride his motorbike, travel to India, and spend precious time making memories with his family.
Sadly, the cancer later returned. Alongside complications from advanced diabetes, his health deteriorated significantly. After a month-long stay in hospital, he returned home bedbound and increasingly frail.
“He was unable to eat or move himself, and eventually lost his ability to talk,” his family recalled. Although his condition worsened, one thing remained clear. His wish was to stay at home, surrounded by his family.
The family wanted to honour that wish but questioned whether he would receive the specialist care he needed outside of a hospice setting. That was when Compton Care became involved.
One phone call changed everything
“It took one phone call to Compton Care,” said Baneeta.
“We had heard their good name before, but the depth of care they provided to our father and to us was beyond anything we could have pictured.” From that first conversation, Compton Care became a constant source of support, guidance and reassurance.
The family describe feeling completely out of their depth as they navigated caring for a loved one with increasingly complex needs. Compton Care’s team helped them understand how to manage medication, reposition him safely, recognise signs of discomfort and respond when challenges arose.
“Their experience and understanding of pain and discomfort allowed us to understand him better,” his family said. “Whenever sudden difficulties arose, they were there, by phone or in person, to ease his suffering and restore some comfort.”
As part of his care, Mr Jamla was also supported through Compton Care’s Virtual Ward service, enabling him to receive the specialist palliative care and clinical oversight he needed while remaining in the comfort of his own home.
Bringing comfort and peace
While losing a loved one is never easy, the family of Mr Jamla said the support provided by Compton Care made an immeasurable difference to both him and those around him.
“When I explained it was time to contact Compton Care, our father didn’t decline. He was thankful for the support they could bring to him and to the family during the worst time of our lives.”
The regular visits and phone calls helped the family stay informed and emotionally supported.
Despite the challenges he faced, Mr Jamla built warm relationships with members of the team who cared for him.
“Even amidst his pain and fatigue, he warmed to every member of staff, communicating and cooperating with them as his strength allowed.”
Reflecting on his care, his family believe he would have wanted to personally thank those who supported him.
“He was a friendly man and if he could have, he would have expressed his appreciation to everybody who supported him. The circumstances were tragic because we lost him, but the care everybody showed him and us during that time was magical. Compton Care in our eyes are life-changing superheroes.”
Keeping his memory alive
Six months after his death, Baneeta says grief remains a journey for the whole family.
However, Compton Care remained a support, with grief counselling and complementary therapy, helping them process and come to terms with his loss.
“Compton Care has also provided support during Dad’s illness and bereavement aftercare to our family, in forms of talking therapy and complementary therapy, which has been a huge help to process the journey and find positivity to be able to move forward, as he would have wanted.”
Sharing their father’s story has brought comfort and helped keep his memory alive.
“It’s something special to know there is a silver lining to his journey,” they said. “Writing about him has brought us comfort, and our family were really touched when we heard Compton Care wanted to share his story.”
We hope that by speaking openly about our experience, other families will feel supported when facing similar circumstances.
“Life brings both incredible highs and heartbreaking lows. A terminal diagnosis affects everyone around the patient, not just the individual themselves.”
“We hope these words can help someone else. Compton Care proved to be absolutely Godsent for our entire family during our hardest time.”
A message to other families
The message from Mr Jamla’s family to any other families experiencing the challenges of terminal illness is simple:
“Compton Care keep their patients’ wishes as a top priority, treating them with the utmost dignity and grace. Their expertise and dedication to palliative care is outstanding.”
“Losing a loved one can feel like a never-ending nightmare, but because of the care they provided, our family is grateful that our father experienced the peace, comfort and dignity he deserved at the end of his life.”
If you or a loved one could benefit from the support of Compton Care, our specialist teams are here to help every step of the way.