Some patients come and go from hospitals, some stay once and never again, but Denise Leong knew Cabrini like the back of her hand. She had been coming to the hospital for treatment of her HER2 positive breast cancer since her diagnosis in 2008.

“Mum was like a part of the furniture,” her daughter Larissa said. “She’d been coming to Cabrini for 18 years to see her oncologist, Dr Lara Lipton, who has been incredible. She’s part of the family now. Lara will tell you, mum was her longest-standing patient.”

Over those 18 years, Denise, a dedicated mother and grandmother, showed incredible resilience. In addition to her treatments, she also underwent a hip replacement with Dr Adrian Trivett, developed pulmonary pneumonitis, which was treated by Dr Hari Wimaleswaran, who helped Denise regain much of her lung capacity, and contracted shingles among her many battles.

“Through all the treatments, chemotherapy, surgeries and radiation, mum was a real fighter,” Larissa said. “She fought incredibly hard and was resilient through everything that came at her and she somehow managed to stay positive through the whole journey.”

However, in 2016, after eight years in remission, the cancer returned. This time it was stage four.

On 7 April, Denise was admitted to Cabrini’s palliative care ward on 4 South, where the staff quickly became a source of support for the family, always making sure that Denise was comfortable and that Larissa had slept and eaten.

“Every nurse, floor staff member, food attendant, cleaner and placement student on 4 South, we honestly could not have done it without them,” Larissa said. “They became like family. The nurses cared for me when they could see that I was stressed and exhausted. They checked that I was okay and sat with me when I was anxious. They looked after not only Mum, but me too. They understood the enormous weight of what we were going through.”

Denise Leong with Punch the Monkey

Shortly after Denise was admitted to 4 South, Larissa bought her Mum a replica of Punch the Monkey’s orangutan plush toy. Punch is the baby monkey who went viral after zoo workers in Japan gave him the toy for comfort after his mother rejected him.

“It’s a symbol for those moments when you’re feeling afraid. It’s something to love and feel support from,” Larissa said. “I bought that toy for those moments when she was struggling and feeling sad and also just as something to provide comfort during the times when we couldn’t be there with her.”

Punch quickly became a talking point for everyone who came into Denise’s room.

“Anytime a nurse or a doctor or anyone would come in, they’d ask, ‘Oh, who’s this?’ and she’d say, ‘Oh, it’s Punch!’”

Denise lost her fight on 6 May 2026.

After Denise’s death, Larissa visited the ward to thank the staff who supported her mum during her admission. It was during this visit that Larissa surprised the nurses with their very own miniature Punch plushies.

“The intention was that whenever they’re having a hard day, they have this little monkey that symbolises hope and gratefulness and care, and that someone is looking after them, too,” Larissa said. “Nurses have to deal with losing patients that they’ve built relationships with, and not every day would be easy but every one of them continues to show up with compassion.

“I could send them a card and flowers, but this is a reminder of our time there and our thankfulness towards each and every one of them.”

For Denise, Punch came to mean something more personal, too.

“For Mum, her little orangutan became a symbol of resilience and vulnerability,” Larissa said. “It was about the need for a ‘soft space’ when things got difficult. I think that’s something the nurses gave both Mum and I during our time at Cabrini, a soft and safe space during one of the hardest moments of our lives and I will forever be grateful for that.”