Literature Review

Meet the Santas helping Pa. families with sick children weather holidays in hospitals PennLive.com; by Sarah Boden; 12/24/24 Katelyn Pownall wasn’t sure her 3-year-old son would ever meet Santa Claus. Nash was born with Menkes disease, a rare genetic disorder that disrupts the body’s ability to absorb and distribute copper. This causes severe damage to the nervous system, as well as connective tissue abnormalities in the skin, joints, and bones.  Menkes is terminal, and since May, Nash has lived at the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh, Pownall told Spotlight PA. The hospital provides specialized pediatric care to medically fragile children. “We just count our moments, not our days,” Pownall said. Earlier this month, Pownall and Nash relished a magical moment: They met both Santa and Mrs. Claus at the hospital. ...

For young adults, caregiving isn't just hard. It can shape you for life. National Public Radio - CAI - Local NPR for the Cape, Coast & Islands; by Kat McGown; 12/23/24 ... There are days when Jordyn Glick, 27, can't eat or drink at all. She gets so tired and weak she can barely stand up. She has gastroparesis, where food stalls out in her stomach and doesn't get digested. It comes with unpredictable bouts of nausea, periods of agony in her guts, and malnutrition. ... Dakota Heath, her 26-year-old boyfriend of four years, is her watchman, "always picking up on the small things," he says. He's on alert for her next flareup, the kind that can leave her bedridden for a week. ... Young caregivers have always been there, doing all the same things that adults do — ... About one-quarter of all family caregivers are between 18 and 36, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving. One survey suggests that almost half of them are men. They're more likely to be Latino or Black; a survey in 2018 found that only 17% were white. They've just been invisible. "They fall into every potential crack that exists," says Melinda Kavanaugh, a professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee who is one of the few researchers who study this population. In terms of resources, "Nothing is targeted for a 22-year-old. Nothing."

Gilchrist’s 39th annual Taste of Howard County raises $230,000 for local hospice care Maryland The Daily Record; by Daily Record Staff; 12/23/24 Gilchrist, Maryland’s leading nonprofit provider of serious illness and end-of-life care, raised more than $230,000 at its 39th annual Taste of Howard County on Oct. 20 at Turf Valley Resort. Over 400 guests attended the 1950s-themed fundraiser, which benefits Gilchrist Center Howard County, the county’s only hospice center. The event featured live and silent auctions led by guest auctioneer Creig Northrop, an appearance by Miss Maryland, and culinary offerings from more than 20 local restaurants.

Family and friends deliver early Christmas cheer to woman in final days of her life  CBS News, Antioch, IL; by Dana Kozlov and Tracy O'Brien; 10/16/24 Driving by a home in the far northwest suburbs, you might wonder what happened to Halloween, as each day more Christmas decorations keep showing up. The answer is a touching tribute to a loving mom, wife and friend; with a special message for everyone. Voices of holiday cheer rang outside a home on a warm fall day in Antioch during a festive gathering for Jamie Haley, a woman loved by many, watching from the front window. "It couldn't be better. I could not be happier," Jamie said. Hearing those words, you wouldn't realize Haley is in the final stages of her life, with hospice coming daily. Known for her lifelong love of Christmas, her family is bringing the joy of the season to her in a big way. "Everybody is showing up and strangers are showing up," said her daughter, Anna. "It's Christmas for as long as it can be. We just love her so much.  … We are going to love her until we have to miss her." ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading this beautiful story.]

Video: Former MLB pitcher placed on hospice throws one last pitch at grandson's game Fox23 News, Tulsa, OK; 7/26/24 A former major league baseball pitcher, who was placed on hospice, threw one last pitch at his grandson's game in Owasso ... [Click on the title's link for this inspiring video.]

PositivelyJAX Award - The purple bench of compassionate St. AugustineNews4JAX; by Melanie Lawson; 11/1/24 [Posted as a Headline as we move through this important Election Week.] This month’s PositivelyJAX Award goes to something unique: a bench. But it’s no ordinary bench—it’s The Purple Bench, powered by people and conversation. The concept was brought to life by a group called Compassionate St. Augustine, sparking empathy and understanding in anyone willing to sit down and listen. This purple bench, located just outside the gates of the Lincolnville Community Garden in St. Augustine, often sits empty, waiting for someone to take a seat and begin a conversation.  When I approached, Eileen Reid was happy to join me. In just a short 10-minute conversation, I got to know her—a retired hospice nurse ... “I’ve been around a lot of endings, and endings are beginnings, but now, now I’m beginning a whole different phase of my life, and it’s interesting. ...”Editor's note: Click on the title's link for the community news article. Click here for a photo and description of this Purple Bench Initiative: "The Purple Bench initiative was formed to challenge the community to engage in compassionate practices despite different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, and views. In a world divided by polarizing opinions, it is increasingly important to find common ground to help those in need." May we find creative ways to use these principles in our own settings and relationships.

Boy, 7, takes on 145-mile challenge for hospice BBC News, Peterborough, United Kingdom; by Shariqua Ahmed; 6/15/24 A seven-year-old boy has taken on a mythical-themed challenge to raise funds for a hospice. Isaac Yates from King's Cliffe in Northamptonshire is scooting, walking and cycling 145 miles (233km) through a Lord of the Rings Virtual Conqueror Challenge for Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice in Peterborough [United Kingdom]. His mum, Zoë Hopkinson, works as a physiotherapist at the hospice which inspired Isaac's mission as he wants to “help people who are suffering and dying.” 

Navy veteran in hospice care in Stark County made a final birthday wish. It came true. The Repository, Massillon, OH; by Steven M. Grazier; 6/26/24 Robert "Bob" Patterson's final birthday wish came true on Tuesday. He said he wanted it loud, festive and full of life. It appeared to be all that and more. The U.S. Navy veteran has been a Harley-Davidson buff and avid motorcycle rider for 62 years. He's called Rose Lane Nursing & Rehabilitation Center home the past couple of months and is in hospice care. Friday is Patterson's 85th birthday, but his last biker bash was celebrated Tuesday with hundreds of folks, which included family, friends, Rose Lane workers and fellow residents.  He was amped for the festivity. "I'm excited — really pumped up!" Patterson said moments before about 190 motorcycles rolled into Rose Lane.

'I've already had my miracle': 26-year-old Savannah mom enters hospice care with only weeks to live ABC WJCL 22 News, Savannah, GA; by Savannah Younger; 12/4/24 As the holiday season begins, Sara Long, a 26-year-old Savannah woman, is entering hospice care after a prolonged battle with kidney failure. Now the wife and mother is preparing to say her final goodbyes to family and friends. "I wanted to make sure that everything's kind of ready to go for when family visits and all that kind of stuff," Long said. "So, I just want to make things as easy as possible for everybody." Long has been told she has two to three weeks left to live and is now preparing her family for her passing. ... Their daughter, Riley, 4, is too young to understand what is happening, but Long is creating a hope chest so Riley can always remember her. "There are probably dozens, if not hundreds, of letters at this point, to open at different various points in her life. So, like her first day of school all through, or a graduate degree, potentially," Long said. "I feel like I've already had my miracle," Sara said. "I feel like Riley is my miracle. ..."Editor's note: If you spend time on nothing else in today's newsletter, click here to view this memorable, meaningful video/article. Surely, you will see your own life in a new light.  See our "Today's Encouragement" for today, with a beautiful quote from Sara Long.

Nonprofit organizes free home cleanings for cancer patients The Dallas Express, Dallas, TX; by Patti Villegas; 10/27/24 When facing a serious illness, even simple tasks can become overwhelming. However, one nonprofit organization is stepping in to help alleviate some of that burden for individuals with cancer. Cleaning for a Reason, founded in 2006, has facilitated free home cleaning services for more than 57,133 cancer patients in the U.S. and Canada, providing services valued at a total of more than $19 million. The non-profit organization partners with residential cleaning companies and community volunteers to “clean the homes of cancer patients to provide hope, relief, control, and cleanliness,” the group’s website states. The volunteers’ work not only enhances the patients’ physical environment but uplifts their spirits as well.

SPECIAL EDITION: December 24, 2024

Fearless hospice patient takes joyrideWest Valley View (AZ); by Lin Sue Flood; 8/7/24Don Tamuty, a beloved former Madison Unified School District teacher, had one thing left on his bucket list. The 95-year-old shared with his hospice nurse, Monisha Roe, that he would love to ride in a driverless car. Monisha and the rest of Don’s Hospice of the Valley care team knew exactly how to fulfill that wish! They booked a driverless cruise on Waymo One to take Don out to a nice restaurant.

Community carolers share love with Bartlesville's 'Santa' on his final journey home Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters - Bartlesville, Oklahoma; by Nathan Thompson; 11/9/24 He's been known as Bartlesville's very own Santa for more than three decades, and on Saturday night dozens of community members showered Ron Adams with the blessing of love and Christmas carols as he faces the final moments of his life.  Earlier this year, Adams was diagnosed with stage-four liver cancer. His health has rapidly deteriated and he is in hospice care at The Journey Home between Bartlesville and Dewey. Debbie Neece, a friend of the family, says she received a phone call from Adams' daughter, Lindsey, Saturday morning with a special request.  Neece made it happen as a fitting tribute to a Bartlesvile icon and his family. ... Saturday's love from the community gathering and singing more than 20 minutes of Christmas carols had a profound impact on Ron, his wife Debi and his daughter Lindsey. Lindsey came outside and in tears, thanked the gathered crowd. A small blessing of Christmas music. A large outpouring of love from the community. But not as large as Ron Adams' heart and his devotion to bringing joy as Bartlesville's Santa.