Muriel Bujega and brother Colin reunited – SWNS
A woman in hospice asked the staff to grant her dying wish and find her long-lost brother—and he turned out to be working in one of their own charity thrift shops.
Muriel Bujega told workers at St. Christopher’s Hospice—where she is being given palliative care for breast cancer—she wanted to be reunited with her sibling Colin, who she’d not seen for almost 15 years.
The staff took on the task and, incredibly, after months of searching, found Colin volunteering in one of their own fundraising shops.
The pair then reunited for the first time in almost a decade-and-a-half and got to talk and cuddle—fulfilling the 73-year-old’s final wish.
“He couldn’t believe it was me,” she told SWNS news. “I was in tears, crying on his shoulder.
“I’d missed him a lot,” said the senior from South London.
She arrived at the hospice feeling withdrawn and isolated following the death of her husband Joseph, so, in an attempt to cheer her up, one of the hospice’s nurse specialists, Phoebe Mooney, decided to try and find Colin.
The siblings, who both suffer with learning disabilities, had lost contact when he was forced to move, after his caretaker, whom he shared a home with, passed away.
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Phoebe says she had to jump through hoops to find Colin, but eventually got in touch an occupational therapist who knew him well.
Muriel Bujega with Phoebe, the Learning Disability Nurse at St. Christopher’s Hospice – SWNS
Remarkably, it turned out he was already part of the St. Christopher’s community as a shop volunteer.
“It’s huge that they met up,” said Phoebe. “It’s such a happy story. I honestly couldn’t believe it.
“It was a really emotional reunion. It was just really lovely.”
Muriel has become a familiar and much-loved presence across the hospice, according to staff, since she moved there after her diagnosis in 2023.
“Coming here completely changed her life. She absolutely loves it and says it gives her purpose. She’s got to know everybody so well.”
She enjoys spending time in the gym, particularly on the treadmill, attending art sessions where she has painted pictures of her late husband, and taking part in Namaste sessions, often having her nails painted to match her outfit.
“Since I’ve been coming here, I feel more relaxed… I love coming here.”
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Her reunion comes as new research commissioned by St. Christopher’s Hospice reveals the majority of Brits are unaware of the support they can receive from hospices on their bucket list goals.
Just 20% of people know hospices can help you to re-connect with loved ones and family members.
“By asking people ‘what matters to you’, we shift the question away from simply asking ‘what’s the matter with you’,” said Helena Talbot-Rice, rehabilitation and wellbeing lead at St Christopher’s. “This can have a profound impact on a person’s engagement and overall experience.”
“Once we’ve asked that question, our job is to listen and then where possible, act.
“We’ve had some incredible stories where people have been able to achieve exactly what they wanted before they die.”
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