This might sound weird to some people,” says Viv James, slightly hesitating, “but I’ve always been interested in connecting with people who are close to death.”
Speaking from her home in Bannockburn, Otago, Viv is the founder of Race4Life Trust, the only charity in the country that aims to fulfil the wishes of patients over-18 whose time left is scarce.
And through it, she believes she’s been given the greatest gift: those dying have taught her how to live in the moment.
This passion started when she was only 18 and lost her best friend. Then, while in her mid-40s, with three children and working as an Auckland primary school teacher, she felt drawn to also volunteer one afternoon a week at Dove House Hospice.
Spending time chatting and listening to the patients quickly stole Viv’s heart. She resigned from teaching to take up a paid position at Mercy Hospice running the Opening Doors programme, where palliative care patients were invited to a day of art, music, pampering and fun.
Palliative patient Georgie Ferris (far right), sister Liv and mum Robyn on a Queenstown joyride with pilot Gerrard Foster.
“It was so invigorating!” recalls the 64-year-old. “We created this vibrant community of people who were dying. The surroundings were beautiful, the camaraderie overwhelming and the sense of belonging was electric.”
Opening Doors gave patients who were isolated because of their illness an opportunity to connect to others for a few hours every week while enjoying beauty treatments.
Patients often expressed some of their inner-most desires during these sessions, which inspired Viv and her boss Julie Reid to make some of these dreams a reality.
In 2008, Viv’s “motorsport freak” husband Tim came up with the idea of taking patients from the programme to Pukekohe Raceway for a spin around the track. Now Race4Life Track Day has become an annual event and in September celebrated its 15th anniversary. Eighty patients and their families attended along with 400 volunteers.
“The Track Day is our signature event,” tells Viv, who left Mercy at the end of 2014. “I worked out there were a number of patients who had special wishes that were not being met. So, in 2015 the Race4Life Trust was born.”
Viv and her team have since granted wishes to over 600 palliative care patients. “Hot- air ballooning, helicopter rides and skydiving have been popular wishes. Others have preferred a beautiful lunch with a friend or a celebrity.”
To get involved or donate, visit race4life.org.nz
