UK Edition
Inspirational #hellomynameis doctor Kate Granger dies
An inspirational doctor who spent five years campaigning to transform public attitudes to death and doctors’ approaches to patients while herself battling terminal cancer has died.
Dr Kate Granger, 34, who started a global campaign to encourage medical staff to get to know their patients as people, died just three days after reaching a personal £250,000 fundraising target for cancer care.
Her husband, Chris Pointon, posted a short message on Twitter announcing that his wife had died “peacefully and surrounded by loved ones” on Saturday, their eleventh wedding anniversary.
“RIP my soul mate and thank you,” he added.
“Love you forever.”
Dr Granger, who was diagnosed with a rare form of incurable cancer at 29, went on to complete a bucket list of life goals while living with her illness - from skydiving to qualifying as a consultant gerontologist.
She first came to public prominence in 2013 when she announced that she planned to tweet from her deathbed to help people come to terms with their mortality.
Soon afterwards, frustrated at overhearing herself described in hospital as “bed number seven” or “the girl with the cancer”, came up with “Hello My Name Is” campaign to change the way staff treat patients.
It encourages medical staff simply to introduce themselves properly to people before discussing their condition to help reduce the “dehumanising” experience of being treated in hospital.
The #hellomynameis Twitter hashtag has since been shared tens of millions of times and been adopted by the NHS.
She also dedicated herself to fundraising. In one of her final tweets, just three days ago she posted a picture from her hospital bed celebrating reaching a £250,000 fundraising target for the Yorkshire cancer Centre in Leeds.
Also last week, in an acknowledgement of her deteriorating condition, she told her almost 48,000 Twitter followers: “Sorry for the distinct lack of #deathbedlive tweets.
"I’ve not had the energy...I’m so grateful for everyone’s support, messages & presents. TY x"
In a Telegraph interview just eight weeks ago she spoke about her mixed emotion at having survived as long as she did, outliving many of the friends she had made since being diagnosed with the same illness.
"Who deserves to stay alive?" she asked.
"It’s hard to be the last one standing.”
But she added: "If I dropped dead tomorrow, I wouldn’t be unhappy with the life I’ve managed to achieve in the last five years.
"I’ve managed to create some amazing legacies. All doctors want to leave their mark, and I think I’ve managed to do that.
"I think through it all I have found a strength I never knew I had."