Navachitta Support

My darling sister and best friend, Navachitta, passed away on Saturday evening in London. She had her most beloved daughter by her side, and her good friend Dhammadinna was there as well, to help her through the transition from life to no longer being in her body. I was able to be in the room by phone and so although unable to hold her or kiss her, I was able to be part of the medical decision making process which I hope alleviated some of the intense pressure of the situation.

Navachitta had ARDS which is Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. This in turn affected her heart, kidneys as well as her poor lungs. She was unable to fully oxygenate her blood and although the medical team at Royal London Hospital worked very hard to help her with this epic battle, the lack of oxygen to other vital organs resulted in sepsis in her abdomen. She was a true fighter and I know she battled long and hard to beat the entire array of terrible medical problems that were stacked against her. She would have done this for Genevieve, and for her grandson Finn as she loved them unreservedly. And she had a lot of work yet to do - she adored the people she was working with as part of the Buddhist Recovery Network, and she loved her fellow friends within the Buddhist Community. She did not give up without a fight, but finally there was simply nothing left that could be done for her. Her blood pressure kept dropping and the consultants said they could keep pumping in the maximum level of drugs which would ultimately be of no avail, or they could take away the paraphernalia and let her pass away in a more peaceful space. We decided this was the best thing, and what Navachitta would have wanted.

Genevieve is still in London and will be joined by her cousin, Jonny, on Tuesday morning. We are bringing Navachitta home to Auckland and will advise as soon as possible, the arrangements for her funeral service.