“He was our everything”: Sheffield GP honours his father in St Luke’s 55th year

When Sheffield GP Amin Goodarzi began navigating his father’s illness, he believed he already understood what hospice care meant. But it wasn’t until St Luke’s became involved that he realised just how deeply a hospice can transform not just a patient’s final months, but a whole family’s experience of loss, love and dignity.

Amin’s father, 79-year old Ali, originally from Iran, died shortly before Christmas 2025 after receiving support from three different St Luke’s services: outpatient clinics, a short stay on the In Patient Centre, and community care at home. His wish was to die in the place he felt safest - his son’s home, surrounded by family. Thanks to St Luke’s, that wish became possible.

Ali was a big character, and a pillar of the Goodarzi family. He was the type of man known for his advice, his generosity, and a smile that lit up the room. His oral cancer diagnosis brought a painful contrast, as the family watched the strong, independent man they loved gradually become more frail.

Amin had known of St Luke’s through his own clinical work as a GP. He had referred patients, and he’d spoken highly of the hospice. But, by his own admission, it wasn’t until his father needed support that he truly understood what hospice care meant.

Ali’s situation was complicated, having undergone unorthodox and harmful treatment in Iran that left him in severe pain. Coordinating care fell entirely on Amin’s shoulders - until a hospital consultant referred Ali to St Luke’s and Dr Sam Kyeremateng took over.

“Sam just did everything,” Amin says. “All the things that would usually be pushed back to the GP, he took completely off me. It was over and above what would happen for my own patients. The relief was immense.”

Together, a relationship of trust, cultural sensitivity and kindness was built. Because Ali didn’t speak much English, Amin translated during appointments - a deeply emotional role, wearing both his “GP hat” and “son hat”. But Sam’s communication, patience and cultural understanding made a profound difference.

“In Iranian culture, talking about dying or future care isn’t something you do,” Amin explains. “Sam approached everything gently. He followed Dad’s cues. He created a space where Dad felt able to talk - sometimes saying things to Sam that he couldn’t say to us. It couldn’t have been handled any better.”

Sam’s flexibility also proved vital. He moved appointments around Amin’s busy schedule and timed sensitive conversations carefully with the wider family.

“Sam’s communication skills were amazing – conducting everything with sensitivity, thought and always being patient-centred. Over time, my father even started to see Sam as a son. On one occasion, he had barely spoken a word all day, yet when Sam rang, he answered immediately saying, ‘Hello son’”.

When Ali’s pain became unmanageable, he was admitted briefly to St Luke’s In Patient Centre for pain management. For Amin, this was the moment he truly understood the hospice’s ethos.

He remembers the registrar, Rutendo, staying far beyond her shift to welcome Ali and support the family. Nurses offered calm, compassionate care, and the Housekeeping and Catering teams offered warmth and companionship.

“It was the Housekeeping Team that got me, actually,” he says. “Their kindness was just as incredible as the doctors and nurses. Everyone - every role - was giving the best of themselves. That doesn’t happen in busy hospitals. The culture at St Luke’s makes that possible.”

The Catering Team adapted meals around Ali’s very specific needs, preparing food that respected both his diet and his culture. “People talk about patient-centred care,” Amin says. “St Luke’s actually does it.”

Ali’s deepest wish was to die at home. As his illness progressed, Sam continued his care in the community, visiting Ali at home at any time of day, and guiding the family through the final phase with compassion and clarity. Ali died peacefully at home, surrounded by those who loved him.

Beyond the clinical story lies the man himself. Ali was a deeply principled, moral, generous figure - a leader in both his immediate and extended family. To Amin, his siblings and their mother, “he was our everything; our king.”

Reflecting on the past year, Amin says the difference St Luke’s made was profound: “It allowed me to be a son again,” Amin says. “Before St Luke’s, I was juggling work, caring, interpreting, decision-making - it was overwhelming. When Sam stepped in, the load lifted. I could focus on being with Dad.”

St Luke's, Sheffield's Hospice, has been caring for Sheffield for 55 years. Thank you for supporting us for the next 55 years of care.