Greenford Woman Brings Compassion to End of Life
Kanchan Chandegra works with a team of 'Butterfly volunteers'
Kanchan Chandegra with her Rising Star Award
January 7, 2026
A Greenford resident who spent more than three decades working for the NHS has returned to the health service in a very different role — offering comfort and companionship to patients who have no one else by their side.
Kanchan Chandegra, 71, is one of a small group of Butterfly volunteers, a specialist team who sit with end-of-life patients or those waiting to be transferred to care homes without relatives or regular visitors. Her work ensures that people who are dying are not left alone in their final days.
Kanchan, who worked for the NHS for 34 years before retiring, said caring for others has been part of her life since childhood.
“I have cared for people since I was a child growing up in Africa when I helped look after my grandmother,” she said. “We were a typical Asian family used to cohabitating with a large group of relatives, which teaches you to look out for one another.”
She said volunteering had opened her eyes to how many people reach the end of their lives without family or friends around them.
“It really struck me how many people are totally alone in the world,” she said. “It’s easy to take companionship for granted and I’m very lucky to be married to a kind, lovely man.”
Known in her community as the person who will always step in to help — whether babysitting, befriending neighbours or supporting families arranging funerals — Kanchan says her motivation is deeply personal. She lost her sister Madhu to a brain tumour when she was young, and remembers her mother insisting that no one should ever die alone.
Her faith also shapes her approach.
“One of the beliefs of my faith is that people remain aware at some level until they pass away, and it is the duty of the living to help them onto the next stage of their journey,” she said.
When sitting with patients, she holds their hand, talks to them or plays music on her phone. She recalls one particularly vivid moment when she dreamt that a patient she had been visiting for weeks told her she was “leaving”. The next day, she learned the woman had died during the night.
Kanchan’s dedication was recently recognised with a Rising Star Award, celebrating women making a difference across London. She also received a personal letter of thanks from the Mayor of London.
Despite the emotional nature of the work, she says the rewards far outweigh the challenges.
“It can be emotional, but I enjoy being a volunteer,” she said. “If it helps people in even the smallest way, it is well worth it.”
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