Literature Review

Agrace grants local 1990 Brewers bat boy a final baseball wish Agrace; 9/12/24 In 1990, Will Natz was 10 years old and about to have his dream come true—he was going to be a Milwaukee Brewers bat boy. As he waited in the County Stadium dugout, he heard Bob Uecker announce his name. ... Natz treasured the cassette tape that held a recording of that moment. ... [Due] to his progressing illness and the need for supplemental oxygen, Natz—a lifelong baseball fan—doubted he would get to another Brewers game in person. That was until his Agrace Hospice Care social worker, Kristin Kalpinski and nurse Jill Cooley saw a chance to make his wish come true with assistance from Agrace’s Wish program. Through the Wish program, Kalpinski, Cooley and staff from the Agrace Foundation contacted the Brewers Community Foundation, American Family Field and other community partners. A donor gave Natz and his family four wheelchair-accessible seats for a Brewers game, plus tickets for Kalpinski and Cooley to go along to support Will’s care needs. Just a few days later, Natz was on his way to a game.

In hospice, Lehigh Valley man doesn’t let terminal cancer stop him from becoming ordained[PA] The Morning Call; by Anthony Salamone; 9/1/24Diocese of Allentown Bishop Alfred A. Schlert places his hands on Von George's hands during an ordination service Aug. 10 at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena in Allentown for George to become a lay permanent deacon. George, of South Whitehall Township, became a deacon despite learning about one year ago that he has pancreatic cancer.Publisher's note: Accessing full article may require subscription.

Hospice workers help patients with last wishes[St. Joseph, MO] News-Press Now; by Charles Christian; 9/1/24While expressing last wishes is not always the first priority for hospice patients, caregivers say it can be a helpful and meaningful step in the grief process. Registered nurse Kathy Lewis, a hospice care manager at Freudenthal Home-Based Healthcare, said that although asking about last wishes is part of the intake process for many hospice organizations, it is not always something that patients and families share right away.

Hospice patient publishes first poetry book BBC News, Derby, United Kingdom; by Jude Winter; 8/26/24 A woman receiving end-of-life care has fulfilled an ambition by publishing a book of poems. Sarah Colina started writing the poems more than 40 years ago but never got round to getting her work published despite encouragement from friends and family. The 60-year-old has been receiving care at Ashgate Hospice since being admitted to its Inpatient Unit in Old Brampton, Chesterfield. ... he added staff at the hospice had been "so supportive" and is selling 50 of her books to raise money to support their work. "I’m hoping it will be nicely received and people will enjoy reading my poems", said Ms Colina. She added: "Some of the poems are very dark, but some make you laugh. "I'm hoping it gives people an insight into their inner person." 

Couple marry in ICU an hour before bride’s father takes his last breath Our Community Now, North Providence, RI; by OCN staff; 8/22/24 A Rhode Island hospital held an emergency wedding that had to be performed before the bride’s father died from muscular dystrophy. Sabrina Silveira-DaCosta says her father, 58-year-old Frank Silveira, was Portuguese-born and raised, a serious chef and a five-star dad. ... With Silveira’s health rapidly declining, his family realized he wasn’t going to make it his daughter’s wedding on Sep. 7, so plans changed. “Everyone was able to bring the wedding to him in the hospital, and he got to walk me down the aisle,” Silveira-DaCosta said. From his intensive care unit bed, Silveira escorted his daughter down the hospital hallway Monday into the hands of her fiancé, Sam DaCosta. ... Silveira-DaCosta’s father died about an hour after he walked her down the aisle. “It’s very complex. It’s a lot of emotion. Our community hospitals don’t get enough credit because any big hospital couldn’t have done this for us,” she said.

8-year-old boy's dream of skydiving finally comes true after lazy eye led to terminal cancer diagnosis (exclusive) People; by Angela Andaloro; 8/14/24 "In those moments, he's not a cancer kid," mom Amanda tells PEOPLE of Paxton's big adventures. ... Faced with limited time, Paxton's family are helping make his bucket list dreams, like skydiving, come true and tell PEOPLE about what it means to be able to do so. ... [Click on the title's link to see photos and read more.]

Jelly Roll stops concert to help ‘cancer survivor’ find better seatYahoo!Entertainment; by Erin Carlson; 8/5/24When Jelly Roll spotted a woman at his concert using an IV drip, he pointed her out from the stage. “I've seen a lot of crazy s—t at my shows. But this young lady is out here with a full-blown IV," the country star (real name Jason Bradley DeFord) declared while performing at the Tailgates N’ Tallboys festival in Midland, Michigan in late July. In footage uploaded on TikTok, the woman told Jelly Roll, 39, that she’s a “cancer survivor.” After hearing this, he turned to his team and said, “Let’s get her a chair” to watch the rest of the show. He then looked at the fan standing in the crowd and assured, “We'll get you off your feet, baby. OK?” ... But while his career takes off, he has been known to make time for fans battling cancer. In July 2023, Taste of Country reported that Jelly Roll met with 65-year-old Suzanne Durham, a Nashville-based hospice patient with lung cancer whose dying wish was to see him perform live. He gave Durham and her friends a private show...

Hospice patient and wife renew marriage vows in special silver anniversary ceremony[MS] WDAM; By Charles Herrington; 8/3/24Buddy and Sonja Myers celebrated 25 years of marriage with a special ceremony at Life Church. The couple renewed their vows during that ceremony. The ceremony was arranged by caregivers at ComfortCare Hospice of Laurel. Buddy Myers has cancer and is a hospice patient. “We went to the Justice of the Peace and got married, and I still laugh at Buddy to this day because he was repeating the vows to the judge and the judge said, ‘You’re not marrying me, tell her,’” Sonja Myers said... The Myers were married on June 8, 2000. Sonja Myers wanted to wear a wedding dress as they planned to renew their vows. That’s when caregivers at ComfortCare Hospice stepped in. “After I got to talking with the family, it came to me that (Sonja) wanted to walk down an aisle next year, at their 25th (anniversary) and so, I started contemplating for a little while and thinking about it and was like, ‘We could make that happen a little early,’” said Raven Anderson, a registered nurse with ComfortCare Hospice.

Grandad rehearsed his funeral 10 years ago – Now his final wishes come true after his passing Good News Network; 7/28/24 A British senior who pre-planned his funeral and rehearsed it on TV in 2013, had his final wishes come true after peacefully passing away in June. Malcolm Brocklehurst, who is a renowned aircraft expert, commissioned an orange airplane-shaped coffin ten years ago from Crazy Coffins, an offshoot of a Nottingham-based traditional coffin and urn maker in England that helps people customize their funeral. The grandfather-of-nine was filmed sitting in the coffin on Channel 5’s Bizarre Burials, which also featured a rehearsal of the ceremony that the former aerospace engineer coordinated to the last detail. The plane was aptly called Tango One and numbered with MB 1934—his initials and year of his birth. He also announced that he wanted the funeral procession to leave from the stadium pitch where his favorite football team, Blackpool FC, plays. ... But speaking about the rehearsal in 2013, he said it was all “light-hearted fun.”

Over a hundred motorcyclists parade through Twin Falls to honor local hospice patient KMVT-11, Twin Falls, ID; by Cole Quinn; 7/22/24 The roar of over one hundred motorbikes swept through Twin Falls on Sunday afternoon. Motorcyclists from as far away as Boise and Pocatello joined in for a parade, all dedicated to one man. Thomas Willie is a 74-year-old hospice patient with Harrison’s Hope Hospice Family in Twin Falls, a non-profit with a wish program for their patients. ... “It was one hundred percent texting, I think there was some social media, it was one hundred percent a who-you-know sort of thing,” said Devin Bernal, Director of Clinical Services. “Our team in Meridian and our team here in Twin Falls they just got busy and started reaching out to people.”

Woman radiates joy as she wears a wedding gown for the first time after 77 years of marriage Scoop; by Rima Biswas; 7/16/24When this 97-year-old got married, she didn't have a proper wedding gown. She got to live this dream after 77 years of marriage thanks to a hospice facility. ... On King and her husband's 77th wedding anniversary, her dream of wearing a wedding dress finally came true. The staff of St. Croix Hospice in Iowa helped the then-97-year-old King to get dressed in all white and a veil to walk down the grassy lawn to celebrate her wedding anniversary. The hospice facility made a small but special arrangement to help the veteran couple reenact their wedding memories, getting everyone emotional in the process.

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.