Condell Hospice Testimonials

Sitting on the bed in the spare room, cheerful handmade greetings from students gracing an entire wall, 67-year-old retired school bus driver William White smoked his pipe between sips of ice water as he leafed through seed catalogs with Betty, his wife of 31 years. Disregarding the freshly fallen mid-March snow covering their backyard, the Whites were planning their spring vegetable garden.

Their priorities were different now that doctors had exhausted all possible treatments for Bill's pancreatic cancer. Bill was dying, and together at home, he and Betty were making each moment count.

"When I found out the cancer was incurable, I figured, why go through any more treatment? God will take me when he takes me. I just want to be in my own bed at home when it happens," Bill said.

With Bill's wishes in mind, Betty contacted Condell Hospice. Hospice patients and their families concentrate on reminiscing about happy times, celebrating the moment and enjoying the patient's good days - all in the comfort and familiarity of the patient's home.

The Whites' assigned nurse visited about once a week, more often as Bill got sicker, to check on his pain medications, ensure his comfort and offer moral support. She was also available by phone or pager for questions between visits. If anything urgent came up during the night or on a weekend, the Whites could speak directly with a nurse at Condell Hospice.

Volunteers are vital members of the hospice team, trained to provide families with respite care while serving as companions for patients at times when family members are not available.

A Condell Hospice volunteer visited the Whites regularly; bringing homemade baked goods and flowers, lending a listening ear and keeping Bill company when Betty needed to run errands.

"This is how Bill wanted it," Betty said, smiling at her husband as she put down her seed catalog and clasped his hand. "And he couldn't be in the care of more wonderful people."

About a month later, on a sunny April afternoon, daffodils and tulips took the place of snow outside a nearby funeral home. Inside, Betty and her 11 children, grandchildren and great grandchildren wept and remembered the man they knew as husband, dad, grandpa and great grandpa.