Matt was a remarkable patient. His death led me to do something special

As a hospital chaplain, I am used to absorbing others’ pain but sometimes the usual ways of coping don’t cut it

I knew that it was going to hurt when Matt died. My colleague John Speakman, a palliative care consultant, was also hurting. In our line of work we face death on a regular basis. How we deal with that is an important part of our professionalism and our survival. But this was somehow different.

Matt Greenwood was one of life’s one-offs. Everything about him, including his illness and its consequences, was unique. We hit it off straight away. He was a 21-year-old student at Oxford University and so engaging, intellectually curious and interested in everything. You had to be on your toes to keep up with him.

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I asked Matt if he'd prefer a humanist colleague to visit. 'Why would I want that?' he asked. 'I'd only agree with him'

Related: 'I deserve more than to be thought of as crazy': a journey through mental illness

Continue reading... February 15, 2018 at 03:35PM