‘To get me here is unbelievable’: A pie and a beer at the footy with his closest friends and family was Simon Baraniec’s simple last wish

After being diagnosed with terminal spinal cancer, Simon became the first palliative care patient to be granted one last simple pleasure under a new make-a-wish initiative.

It may seem like a simple wish to many, but for palliative care patient Simon Baraniec, having a pie and a beer at the footy one last time was something he could not pass up.

“Amazingly special to be able to make a wish like this and have it come true,” said the “awestruck” Port Power supporter, who was wheeled out on to Adelaide Oval by St John’s Ambulance workers on Tuesday.

At 55 years old, Mr Baraniec is the first patient to take part in the Ambulance Wish SA program, which he hoped would be afforded to many others like him.

“I’ll vouch that it’s truly fantastic (and) the ambulance that they’ve got together to get me here is unbelievable,” he said.

“It’s more about caring and giving people things like this, (and) you know, quality of life (and) looking after people, and the way the nurses and the doctors just really bend over backwards for you to make it that positive friendlier place to be.

“I didn’t expect it to be like this. Seriously, I thought we were just going to come down the oval and have a look around.”

Palliative Care Last Wish. Simon Baraniec got his last wish at Adelaide Oval with a pie and beer with family and friends. Picture: RoyVphotography

Mr Baraniec was diagnosed with spinal cancer in November last year, and is one of about 12,000 palliative care patients across SA at any given time.

Palliative Care SA CEO, Shyla Mills, said it was “often” the “simple pleasures” that mattered the most to being near the end of their lives.

“It might be a trip home for a cup of tea, it might be a visit to Adelaide Oval and see your team play (or) it might be having a pie and a beer with your mates,” she said.

“These sorts of things make a big difference to people at the end stage of life, and that’s what this program is about.

“This is about working in the palliative care space to support people to fulfil their last wishes and to have memories that last forever.”

Sponsor a wish day at Adelaide Oval. Picture: RoyVphotography

Ms Mills called on more support from the SA community in a bid to see the program expanded to regional and rural areas, and for more wishes to be granted for patients.

The current funding will afford at least 10 more wishes for palliative care patients in the first year, but the program was aiming to increase the numbers with the ultimate aim of granting 75-100 wishes per year.

Ambulance Wish SA have received a $250,000 grant from the state government over the next two years,

Health Minister Chris Picton said it was important that people going through palliative care were given the opportunity to have one last wish.

“We know palliative care can be a difficult time for the person going through it, their families and carers,” he said.

“This is a wonderful initiative that gives people with a life-limiting condition and who are nearing the end of their lives an experience that has great meaning to them and their loved ones – just like today’s visit to Adelaide Oval for Simon and his mates.”