Demystifying Hospice Blog

“We had one of those storybook marriages, that’s why it hurts so much, …” says Anne of her late husband, Mac, who died of a rare form of cancer two years ago.  Anne, a nurse practitioner in Belleville, Ontario was married to her best friend for 39 years. Mac died just shortly before the couple’s…

Dave had been in the Palliative Care Unit at Northumberland Hills Hospital for more than four weeks this time, his third time in the unit. Nurses asked Joan, “How is he hanging on?” Joan pondered on it and came up with a reason she wouldn’t put past her stubborn husband. “He probably wants to go…

When you live in England and receive a call saying your mother in Canada is facing cancer surgery and chemotherapy, it’s a crisis. Recently Harry had such a call and although he came to Georgina to be with his mother, it was clear that a two week trip wasn’t going to be enough. Luckily, Harry…

I came here thinking that I was giving, but I ended up receiving. For three years I have been serving in the hospice world. I wasn’t sure where life would take me next but I was compelled to give back. My time, my support and my experiences. Most of us all have experienced loss, whether…

Being a caregiver isn’t easy – but you don’t truly understand how difficult it is until you’ve experienced it firsthand. When you’re 19 and the youngest sibling of four, nothing can really prepare you for when you find out that your mother has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Transitioning from the role of care receiver…

Tammy and I fell in love while writing songs for a three-song demo she was recording at a friend’s studio. It didn’t take long to know my life was going to be blessed with her by my side. Most people aren’t fortunate enough to find their true love, and I find that extremely sad.  Others…