Pippa’s special trip to the beach
A rare terminal illness has kept Pippa Eden away from the beach but for a moment in time, she returned to her happy place.
At 11.30am on Thursday, during a perfect tide and fine weather, the Nelson woman, her husband Rob and her two children, Caitlin and Connor, spent two blissful hours at Tahunanui Beach.
She was helped by local firefighters who carried her on a chair from the carpark to a blanket set up on the beach.
It was her wish to feel the sand between her toes, the ocean breeze and the saltwater wash over her feet.
Eden said it was ‘‘amazing’’ to be at the beach.
‘‘It’s been over a year in waiting.’’
She had a strong connection with the water, having been into paddle boarding, kayaking, swimming and boating.
‘‘I always grew up in the water or on the water. We lived by the water.’’
But the energy to reach her sandy sanctuary was taken away from her.
Eden noticed she was becoming short of breath a few years ago, unable to walk 10 metres, but no one could diagnose her condition.
Finally in 2014, she had a lung biopsy and was diagnosed with chronic eosinophilic pneumonia. It causes a decrease in lung function, restriction in mobility and the need for constant oxygen supply.
Eden, 42, is the only one in New Zealand suffering from the illness.
She has been away from her home for three years, including the first two years in hospital before being in Nelson Tasman Hospice care since January this year.
Hospice nurse Becky Bennett said Eden had often spoken about her love of the beach.
She came up with the idea of a visit to Tahunanui, and told Eden: ‘‘Let’s do it because time’s getting short’’.
Bennett said the couple of hours on the beach meant more to Eden than ‘‘you or I could probably imagine’’.
After taking in the salt air, firefighters carried her in her chair with her oxygen tank to the ocean to feel the water lap at her ankles.
Bennett said it was clear she enjoyed it.
‘‘As she saw the paddle boarder she said, ‘Normally that would be me out there’.
‘‘I just think it just adds to her day to be able to be down here, feel the sand, smell the sea, feel the breeze. She’s telling me she doesn’t want the umbrella, she wants to feel the sun on her skin. All those little things we take for granted, I think it’s just really special for her.’’
Eden’s husband, Rob said the family were taking, ‘‘just one day at a time’’.
He said he didn’t know where they would be without the hospice. ‘‘We’d be struggling. ‘‘They’re just so caring, really looking after her. They go out of their way to help, arranging all this.’’
Nelson Fire Service station officer Dick Lyle was contacted to assist with the event and help ‘‘fulfil one of her wishes’’.
‘‘It’s sort of everything isn’t it. We’re here to help, that’s what we do.’’
Bennett said there could be more opportunities in the future to get Eden to the beach now they knew it could be done.
After nearly two hours with her family, Eden took only photos but left more than footprints.
‘‘She lay down in the sand and did a sand angel.’’