“She is going to die. In a couple of weeks.” Those were the words spoken to me that cold, snowy December afternoon. “What is the next step then?” I asked the doctor as I tried, unsuccessfully, to clench my jaw and fight back the tears….
I recently had the immense privilege of working with the family of a young woman who was being admitted for a terminal cancer diagnosis. Just walking into the house was tough, as I have children in that age group. I was very aware of the…
Earlier this year, we had a call come in to our Milton Inpatient Center in Massachusetts, one that to this day makes our staff smile. Our charge nurse Kimberley took the call. She spoke with a woman, Maura, who was looking to find a volunteer…
Christmas doesn’t usually arrive in the small town of Forest Grove, Oregon until December, but this year, it came early for one family. Audex “Audie” Gay was a fixture in the Forest Grove Community. Always smiling with a joyful soul, Audie worked in town for…
Our patient, Tom Layesman, was a man with a love for the written word. Tom majored in English at the University of Maryland before going on to do graduate work in the professional writing program at Towson State University. He enjoyed spending his time writing and playing music….
There are certain prayers and scripture readings that bring me comfort. Because they are familiar to me, hearing them again and again brings me a sense of calm even in the most troubling of times. Spiritual Presence Volunteers can bring that comfort to those living…
The Rodney Caulk that our staff knows has always been a man of the Earth, finding his utmost happiness in the simplest things in life. A livestock farmer, Rodney spent all of his 54 years focused on his farm, his family and his faith in…
A native of Mexico, Maria worked in the hot Mexican heat, working a number of jobs to make sure there was food on the table for her family. She washed clothes in the river for others, baked homemade tortillas for grocery stores and picked corn…
The oncologist was running late, but took the time to carefully review the results with us. We looked at scans in sequential order while the doctor talked about the chemo’s negative impact on my dad’s immune system. We reviewed the report from the radiologist, and…
At Seasons, we live by the motto “Honoring Life, Offering Hope,” and we see it every day in our employees and the care they give to our patients. We see examples every day that astound and amaze us. One special example was seen recently in…
Each one of our patients at Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care has a unique story to tell and we are always so excited when they decide to share it with us. Susuma Yasuda was a special man, devoted to his wife, his family and his…
A conversation overheard at a Maryland assisted living home: “Jennifer! Hey, Jen! Have a good lunch!” “Yeah, Jennifer, you too! See ya this afternoon!” No, it’s not a coincidence that you’re overhearing in that conversation. It’s actually a joke and one that one the staff…
