Daniel O’Brien’s Legacy

It has been five years since we opened the doors of the Hospice building at 331 Suffolk Road, Stoke. Since opening, the Daniel O’Brien (Specialist Palliative Care) Wing has cared for nearly 1100 patients, and our team of specialist doctors, nurses and allied health teams have cared for these patients and their families for some 11,686 days. Countless more patients have been cared for in the community, with the overall Suffolk Road facility being the hub of operations for our busy teams.

Our inpatient unit provides an important space where patients can come when they need extra assistance with their care; this may be symptom management, treating and relieving pain and in some cases, this is where a patient will spend their last days or weeks before they die. 78% of patients who stay in the inpatient unit will then return to wherever they call home, to spend time with whānau and have their home comforts at hand.

By leaving an incredible legacy of $4.2 million, Daniel O’Brien, the Cornerstone donor of the Hospice’s Stoke facility, gave a lasting gift to patients and whānau in the Nelson Tasman community. Daniel lived in Nelson and received support in the community from the Hospice for three months before he died in 2016. His family, sister Betty, nephew Greg and niece Alison attended the opening in May 2019 and were delighted he had chosen to leave his estate to the Nelson Tasman Hospice and the Neurological Foundation. “We are very proud of what Dan was able to contribute to the hospice and to the Nelson community.”

In honour of his significant contribution the Daniel O’Brien Wing is named after Daniel and the gift he gave the Nelson Tasman community. The Nelson Tasman Hospice team remember him each time they walk through the doors of the inpatient unit.

The building of this vital facility on Suffolk Road, Stoke, was made possible by a whole community effort from Nelson Tasman; $2 million was raised by individuals, $1.4 million came from grant funders and over $500,000 was donated through businesses offering goods and services at cost or free of charge. The dedication and kindness of those who worked with the Nelson Tasman Hospice team to create this calming and purpose-built space highlights the compassionate community that we are part of.

Thank you to every individual, business and grant funder that supported the creation of this Hospice hub. Without your efforts and
the exceptional gift made through Daniel O’Brien’s legacy we simply couldn’t be the service we are today. The building has given us a wonderful home for our operations, but work continues daily, striving towards a sustainable service, while still providing the best possible specialist palliative care to more than 210 patients each month.