When I first met Tara, instead of shaking my hand, she jumped out of her chair, a big smile on her face, and said, “Oh no, I’m a hugger!” I laughed and remarked that, considering my profession, I usually do not receive such a warm…
Sometimes, our lives don’t go as planned. We search for the one that makes our hearts skip a beat, and when we do finally find them, there’s no hesitation; we promise them forever. Plans are made, houses are built and babies are born. Such was…
“It’s not what I want but it’s what I got.” These were the words I heard from a resident I encountered in the courtyard of an Assisted Living Facility one evening while charting. I was waiting for traffic to subside before I began my 51…
About the Author: Marco is an eleven-year old who attended Camp Kangaroo in Miami. He wrote this essay for a class after attending camp. My time at Camp Kangaroo by Marco Mezzarapa A few weeks ago, my mother told me, my brother, and my sister…
Death and I became acquaintances at a very young age. Raised by my extraordinary, single mother, and two incredible grandparents, I’ve always been proud of my strong African American roots. While kids across the country spent their summers camping and going on road trips, I…
Sometimes when you know that the one you love is dying, there is little you can do to tear yourself away, because you want to cherish each moment you have left together. This is how it was for Yolanda, who sat at the hospital bedside…
About the Author: Lucas Smith is a volunteer with Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care in New Haven, Connecticut. Lucas is also a medical student at Quinnipiac University. His weekly visits with our patients, brings so much joy to their lives. Lucas has been visiting our…
Robert E. Wilson, known as Bob to his family and friends, was a patient in our San Bernardino hospice program who reminded our staff about determination, dedication and love, even in his final hours of life. Bob was a delightful man; both funny and sweet…
About a month ago I had the privilege of being at a patient’s bedside as she experienced a peaceful death. I am a Hospice Admissions Nurse and had been asked to admit a woman who lived in a nearby nursing home into our program. Normally these…
They say that dog is man’s best friend, and those are words that are all too true for pet therapy team Rosemary and her pup, Sophie. From the first time we welcomed Sophie to a Seasons Hospice facility, we quickly realized that Sophie and her…
Hospice care isn’t about just caring for our patient; it is also about caring for each individual family member who is part of our patient’s life. Often, it means we have to find creative solutions to challenges that we see and our staff lets no…
“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….
