Reuniting with Roberta
Stories from Roberta about her time in Uganda are numerous, but one from her visit to Uganda this past January stands out. A full circle moment occurred when Roberta reconnected with an old friend, Antoinette, a palliative care nurse who received a scholarship from Center of Hospice Care for her palliative care education in 2012.
Antoinette’s healthcare journey started in 1998 when she went to school to earn her certification in nursing. Following in the footsteps of her mother who was also a nurse, Antoinette always knew she wanted to care for patients. She went on to work in many fields, including critical and pediatric care. Palliative care didn’t enter Antoinette’s life until a few years later when her beloved mother was diagnosed with leukemia. Antoinette provided her care as her mother struggled with the disease for three years before dying in pain in 2006. From that day on, Antoinette swore she never wanted to see another person suffer like her mother did.
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Roberta with Antoinette and her brother
Soon after her mother’s passing, Antoinette learned of an upcoming cancer care training –which included palliative care, and that her medical superintendent was looking for two nurses to attend. Inspired by her mother’s story, and remembering her vow to never let another patient experience a painful death, Antoinette attended the training. From that point on, Antoinette’s passion for palliative care only grew and she decided it was God’s calling for her to continue strengthening her knowledge in palliative care.
In 2012, she began school, fully funded by the Center for Hospice Care/Palliative Care Association of Uganda (CHC/PCAU) nursing scholarship. Just two years later, Roberta and Antoinette met for the first time, Antoinette learned that Roberta, a volunteer of CHC, was one of the people responsible for supporting her palliative care education. Antoinette was delighted to meet Roberta. She appreciated Roberta’s “beautiful smile and a warm welcoming voice.” Roberta traveled to visit Antoinette at work and home and met her children. This was the start of a friendship and they occasionally kept in touch over the years, and Roberta advised and encouraged her growth in palliative care.
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Antoinette always had the desire to do as best as she could with her patients, and her passion for palliative care prompted her to continue her education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in palliative care in 2020. She then applied to do a master’s degree in palliative care, once again with the help of a scholarship from the CHC/PCAU partnership. The COVID-19 pandemic caused some disruptions and delays, but Antoinette successfully graduated with her master’s degree in palliative care this past January. At this graduation, Antoinette was in for surprise – once again, Roberta was present to share this milestone with her!
Roberta and Antoinette were also able to spend some time together during Roberta’s visit to Uganda earlier this year. Antoinette expressed her most sincere gratitude and shared with Roberta how much her education in palliative care changed her life. Roberta describes Antoinette as “another impressive individual who inspires me and who will make a difference in the advancement of palliative [care] because of her passion, vision for herself and determination.” Antoinette says that there is still much to do in her country for palliative care. She is committed to this work and is encouraged by her dear friend and mentor, Roberta. There is no doubt Antoinette will be able to accomplish much more toward the goal of palliative care for all in Uganda.