Literature Review

Corby boy, 10, set for Arctic trek in tribute to fatherBBC News, by Kate Bradbrook & Brian Farmer; 2/2/24A 10-year-old boy once told he might never walk can look forward to days of "wonder" as he prepares to trek in the Arctic in memory of his late father. Caeden, who has cerebral palsy, was born 12 weeks early. But Caeden, of Corby, Northamptonshire, has climbed Ben Nevis and is now set to meet the Arctic challenge. Mountain guide John Cousins said the "biggest danger in such conditions comes from the cold". Caeden is due to travel to Sweden on Monday with mother Lisa, brother Ashton, 12, and sister Khya, 14.

Musician grants dying wish to hospice patient The Platte County Citizen; by Rimsie McConiga; 5/14/24 Jazz musician Stanton Kessler was surprised when he was contacted recently by his friend, a hospice nurse, who reached out to him with an unusual request. A patient at the Kansas City hospice where she works told her his last wish would be to hear his favorite song, ‘Feels So Good’ before he died. During their conversations Kessler’s impression was that this was his friend’s first experience with a request such as this. “There was an element of urgency,” Kessler said. “She said he was near death.” ... An incredibly emotional and rewarding moment followed when Kessler began to play the patient’s beloved song. The man’s eyes remained closed, but his fingers began to move. ...

I asked my dad to write my wedding speech after he was given 6 months to live. I'm holding on to it for my special day. AOL.com - Insider; by Lara Rodwell; 9/29/24 ... I remember the moment my dad told me he had six months to live like it was yesterday. ... "Lar, we need to have a chat," he said, hovering beside the edge of the bed. "I've received some news. It's not good." ... Wrapped in the comforting arms of my dad, I blurted, "Dad, you're not going to walk me down the aisle one day." ... During one sleepless night, it hit me. I wanted to create a keepsake where my dad and I could write letters, share memories and process our feelings, together. I found a tatty old notebook and wrote my first letter to him. ... The very first thing I asked him at the end of the letter, ink smudged with tears, was if he could write his wedding speech for me. ... It was a hot summer's morning, the day my dad died in the care of our local hospice. He'd been there for three weeks — in a lot of pain, stabilized by a lot of morphine — surrounded by his family. .... Later that day, ... amongst pages of financial practicalities and funeral wishes, there was a folder of white envelopes addressed to each of us - his wife and four children. On the front of mine read "Lar...". On the back: "Your wedding speech." To this day, the envelope remains sealed, tucked away at the bottom of my "dad box" — along with the notebook we shared, photo albums of memories, and a collection of swimming medals he wanted me to show his grandkids one day. ...

Editorial: Exposing Marin high school students to health care fields is a home run The Tribune, Novato, CA; by The Marin Independent Journal; 12/18/24 Marin high school students interested in health care will soon get the opportunity to get a head start on those career opportunities. A pilot course is being offered this spring for San Marin High School students to introduce them to various careers in this important field. It is a coordinated initiative led by the Marin County Office of Education, the Novato Unified School District and By the Bay Health, the Marin-headquartered hospice program. John Carroll, Marin County superintendent of schools, says the program is designed to introduce juniors and seniors to the diversity of options in the health care field. ... Giving youth in-depth exposure to the field should pay dividends by increasing students' interest in pursuing those careers. "We are optimistic this partnership with MCOE will inspire more students to join the continuum of care - particularly in areas like home-based palliative care, hospice care and home health care," says Skelly Wingard, chief executive officer at By the Bay Health.

The Denver Hospice delivers holiday meals to 347 Coloradans; initiative ensured Coloradans facing hardship can celebrate with a holiday meal GlobeNewswire, Denver, CO; by The Denver Hospice; 12/20/24 The Denver Hospice, in collaboration with dedicated staff, provided 76 meals to patients and their families facing hardship during the holiday season. Over 347 people will enjoy a festive dinner as a result of the nonprofit’s healthcare organization’s holiday initiative. “At this time of the year, it can be especially hard for people to admit that they need help,” stated Susan Finke, director of clinical services at The Denver Hospice. “I want to thank everyone who helped deliver dinners today as we are caring for more people than just our patients. Hundreds will now have the opportunity to gather next week and enjoy being with their loved ones.” ... This is an annual event held by The Denver Hospice in support of their hospice and palliative care patients. Working in tandem with social workers, clinical and administrative staff, the nonprofit identifies and supports vulnerable patients across the Denver metropolitan area. The holiday season can be an especially difficult time of year for those facing life-limiting illnesses. 

An innovative take on transforming hospice spaces with Buildner for better well-being Arch Daily; 12/19/24 Buildner has announced the results of its Hospice - Home for the Terminally Ill competition, the third in a series of architectural idea challenges focused on creating compassionate spaces for individuals facing terminal illnesses. This competition encouraged architects to move beyond traditional medical models, designing environments that prioritize comfort, dignity, and community. Participants were tasked with envisioning a facility for up to 15 visitors and five staff members, incorporating essential spaces such as a library-equipped common area, gathering room, chapel, kitchen, dining area, nurse's station, and therapy room for psychological support. Designs were grounded in theoretical sites within participants' home countries, allowing for the integration of local cultural, social, and environmental contexts. The competition highlighted how innovative, thoughtful design can provide solace and strength during life's most difficult moments. ...

Mom, 26, dies days after choosing to enter hospice following 13 years of living with kidney failure (exclusive) People; by Zoey Lyttle; 12/18/24 Though she left behind a 4-year-old daughter, Sara Long told PEOPLE her feelings about death were "more certain" than they'd ever been when she started end-of-life care. “I think a lot of people spend a lot of time thinking about what it means to have a good life. And don't get me wrong, I did that too,” Sara Long, 26, told PEOPLE over the phone just shy of a week before she died at the hospice facility into which she had just recently moved. ... Long said she’s spent “the last two or three years” deliberating about her idea of a “good death.” She decided that it wasn’t just about how she would experience these last expected few weeks of her life in hospice. What Long really wanted was to be surrounded by her most precious loved ones — including her husband Justin, 32, and their 4-year-old daughter Riley Jean — but she didn't want them to watch her die while intubated and attached to hospital equipment as she was half of her life. “I just feel like if I pushed it any harder, then I was going to get to a place where it was going to be outside of my control,” said the mom of one. “I was going to wind up dying in a hospital alone, afraid, full of tubes, scared. My daughter wouldn't be able to be part of the process, and it would just be really lonely, and that's really not the goal.” Detached from the familiar yet foreign medical equipment, Long told PEOPLE she was freed from fear knowing she would only survive another couple of weeks in hospice. (She died with a week less than anticipated.) Editor's note: This another follow-up post to this profound young woman's story that we post on 

[United Kingdom]  'My son died at 24 - now I'm doing his bucket list' BBC News; by Adam Eley and Alison Holt; 12/16/24 Alex Spencer's son Declan - who had Duchenne muscular dystrophy - died last year at the age of 24, and she admits she has still not gone a day without crying. "I think society has a misconception that a carer gets their life back [when a loved one dies]," she said. Declan had drawn up a bucket list but died before he could finish it. Now Alex, who wants to raise awareness of the difficulties disabled people face in getting the right care, is taking up the challenge - including visiting Paris, getting a tattoo Declan designed and taking his adapted van around a famous German race track.

'You will NEVER be forgotten': 26-year-old Savannah mom in hospice care has died ABC WJCL-22 News, Savannah, GA; by Graham Cawthon; 12/13/24 A young Savannah mother who entered hospice care earlier this month has died. WJCL began following the story of 26-year-old Sara Long last year. Long was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease at the age of 13. Six years later, her mother donated a kidney to her. But the new organ failed.“We were expecting to have more time, you know," Sara told WJCL earlier this month. "I was just hoping to make it through the holidays, honestly." ... "I would rather have 26 really good years full of adventure and full of meaning and full of love and just the most beautiful people and I'm so glad that I got that instead of 100 mediocre ones," she added.On Friday, Sara's husband Justin confirmed that she had passed away. "December 12, 2024 at 10:20pm Sara Long passed away. I held her in my arms and told her I loved her as she took her last breath. Her kind and loving nature continues through our daughter Riley and me as she has shown me that men can be calm and loving. She has shown me that I can be the greatest dad and has shown everyone around her what true love and kindness is. I'm glad she lived a great 26 years instead of 100 mediocre ones. Thank you, Sara for giving me the absolute best 7 years of my life and the most beautiful daughter. You will NEVER be forgotten. I love you." Editor's note: We posted Sara's powerful video and quote in our newsletter on 12/6/24. Click here for her profound, inspirational video.

'A blessing': Hospital beds find new homes in families who had been praying for them Austin American-Statesman, Austin, TX; by Nicole Villalpando; 12/13/24 Ron McDaniel had been trying to find a place for the hospital bed both his dad, Robert, and brother, Gary, had used in the assisted living facility where they were before they died. His father was a Navy veteran who was burned over 30% of his body during World War II. His brother had severe brain damage from a car accident in 1976 and was a quadriplegic. The electronic hospital bed with the extra comfortable mattress and the trapeze bar needed a new home. Ron McDaniel wanted it to go to a veteran or a veteran's family because it originally came from the Veterans Affairs, but he tried organization after organization with no luck. Meanwhile, Sandra Daniels was in desperate need of a hospital bed for her mother, Bertha Woodward, 87, who has heart failure, problems with her kidneys and limited mobility caused in part by neuropathy in her feet. Daniels could not afford a hospital bed but had been trying organization after organization for a year and came up empty. She had recently called AGE of Central Texas to see if they might have a hospital bed. ...Editor's note: Organizations who helped include 26th Statesman Season for Caring, Austin Palliative Care, ATX Firefighter Moving, AGE of Central Texas.

Northern Colorado cancer palliative care nurse leans on patients as she battles her own diagnosis ABC KJCT News 8, Fort Collins, CO; by Dillon Thomas; 12/11/24 A Northern Colorado woman who has spent years of her career helping patients navigate their cancer diagnosis says she leaned on her own patients for encouragement as she battled cancer herself. Riley Mulligan, a palliative care nurse navigator for UCHealth in Fort Collins, said she was able to battle her diagnosis of breast cancer by leaning into the courage of her patients while also taking lessons from herself. Mulligan’s journey battling cancer started nearly a decade ago, but the cancer she was helping battle wasn’t her own at the time. As a palliative care nurse, her job was to help some of the most ill patients that UCHealth treats. ... “I’m trying to take my own advice, I am trying to remember how to live. On the days I felt the worst, the most nauseous and tired, I still tried to get out and do things because I knew it would help me feel better,” Mulligan said.

Commentary: The coat my mother never wore National Public Radio - WBUR, Boston, MA; by Karen Propp; 12/11/24 Shortly before Thanksgiving 2018, I bought my 87-year-old mother a winter coat — a silvery-gray one that matched her hair. None of us could remember the last time she had left the house, spoken in full sentences or walked without assistance, but my father hoped that a new ultra-light coat might change things.  ... Having been close to others with progressive or terminal illnesses, I did not share his optimism. But it felt cruel to dash my father’s hope, so I hung the coat in the front hall closet, as if it were a talisman that could bring us a miracle. My mother died peacefully, late in the morning that December 24. By the time the men from the funeral home arrived, it was already dark outside. ...Editor's note: Click on the title's link to read how this simple coat evoked a daughter's grief, coping, and realization of her mother's qualities within herself. Non-clinical leaders: in case you're not aware, the extensive body of grief research reveals that grief does not have a last "stage" of "acceptance." Rather, mourning begins with a first step or "task" of accepting realities of the loss (Worden), with another step or "task" of establishing enduring connection (Worden)--which this daughter found within herself. These are not stages. Rather, they are ongoing cycles (mini and macro), with other identified, individualized dynamics.

Fabric artist's new exhibition in Historic Overtown sheds light on 41 years of wrongful incarcerationThe Miami Times; by Morgan C. Mullings; 12/10/24Whether volunteering in hospice, designing the prison magazine or leading the drama team, Gary Tyler lived an eventful life in prison. After 41 years of living in a cell he didn’t deserve to occupy, he found new life as an artist.  “Grief Not Guilty: Reclaiming My Time” features Tyler’s original quilts, photos of his mother and floral wreaths created by Quantavia Love. The exhibit speaks to the resilience of the human spirit, and the importance of recognizing the names and faces of those yet to be freed. It is on display now at the Black Police Precinct and Courthouse Museum in historic Overtown, a space dedicated to Black police officers of the pre-civil rights era and primed for discussions on the U.S. prison system. ...  After an angry anti-busing mob attacked him and other Black students in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, he was destined to live and die in prison. ... That prison would be one of the most notorious in the U.S. Louisiana State Penitentiary. ... Also known as Angola, Angola Plantation, The Farm, or Alcatraz of the South, Louisiana State Penitentiary is the largest maximum security facility in the country. Tyler refused to do the manual labor required at this prison farm, calling it “slave work.”