The story of the late Walter (Wally) Kaszuba
May 30, 2024
Written by Susan Kaszuba, Wally's daughter-in-law
Wally woke up at 4am on the 29th of June 2020 not able to breathe. An ambulance was called and he was treated for a heart attack, he was admitted to ICU in Werribee Mercy Hospital, then moved to a ward after a few days with the diagnosis of a heart attack. They did some more tests and we were told he has a faulty heart valve which would be ok with medication and regular heart checks with a specialist.
Then in September 2022 he said his legs and arms were getting sore along with chest pains. I took him to his regular GP where they did blood tests, chest x-rays. All came back normal except for his prostate, that came back low grade. Again more medication and regular checks with an oncologist.
Then came December 2022. His legs were still sore, still had chest pains, more bloods were taken again and chest x-rays all came back normal. That day his GP booked him in with the heart specialists to get the valve checked. That appointment wasn’t until March 2023. January 2023 legs still sore. February 2023 he needed a walking stick to walk and couldn’t walk long distance as he was breathless. He moved in with us in March as it was getting hard for him to do daily things.
His appointment in March with Heart Specialists came and they said his valve wasn’t the issue - his heart was fine. I said to them he can’t walk, can’t breathe properly, something’s not right. They said to go see a respiratory specialist, so I booked that in. The appointment was made for the 12th June, that was so far away, I was so worried. April 4th he said to us I think my voice is changing, now I look back and think why didn’t I pick that up then.
Then one morning I asked how he slept. He said he couldn’t breathe, so I packed a bag and took him to St Vincent’s Emergency Department in the city. They took him straight in and said it’s his heart valve and they were going to fix it in a few days. We were so relieved, he was so relieved.
That was May 2023. Then on the cardiac ward on the 9th of May at 2am, he woke with chest pains and couldn’t breathe again. They did tests on him and said actually your heart is fine, you’re not having a heart attack.
I went in on the 10th of May as they said they’d organised 2 neurologists to come and assess Walter as the doctors weren’t sure of why he was getting chest pains and having breathing problems. It took the professor 40 seconds to diagnose Walter with MND.
They took him for an MRI just to confirm and yes, our worst fears were confirmed - he had motor neurone disease. They moved him up to the neurology ward where the MND doctors were. By this time, he couldn’t move his legs. His breathing was getting worse. They sent him over to the Austin Hospital to be fitted with a breathing machine so he could come home where we could look after him.
He was transferred to Werribee Mercy Hospital on the 22nd May while we waited to have all the necessary things I needed to care for Walter at home. MND Victoria donated everything we needed to care for Wally at home. We had the palliative care nurses come everyday as he just kept getting worse everyday. Then on the 14th June, he was transferred to Austin Hospital as he couldn’t move and his breathing was getting much worse. Then on the 16th June at around 12.45pm, he took his last breath.
It was so tragic for him. Diagnosed on the 10th May and passing away on the 16th June. The team at St Vincent’s said his MND would of started in June 2020. His symptoms were so advanced they said (on the 10th of May) he would only have a few months to live. He only lasted another 39 days.
39 days left with him was the worst for our family. He was such a fit man for his age of 76. He was so good with his hands. He could fix anything, make anything. He was a motor mechanic, an electrician, a white goods repairman. He was Walter Kaszuba. Our Dad, Pop, Brother, Uncle, Friend, who was just the best and we miss him so very much. He will never be forgotten and is always talked about daily.
We, Walter's family, would like to thank the team at St Vincent’s Hospital, Jeanette From Barwon Health for all her advise and support, Mercy Palliative Care Unit, Austin Hospital and most importantly, all at MND Victoria. Their donations and support was very much appreciated and won’t be forgotten.
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