A Moment of Compassion that will Stay with Me Forever

In April 2024, I rode on the patient transfer bus with my mom as she arrived at Rotary Hospice. I promised her I would stay until she fell asleep that night – and I did. The next morning, I wanted to be the first face she saw when she woke up, so I arrived bright and early at 7 am.

When I got there, her door was closed. From the hallway, I could hear the voices of three women inside – staff members gently talking to my mom, so kindly, as the Everly Brothers played softly in the background (some of her favourite tunes).

I stood quietly in the hallway, trying to hold myself together, but the emotion was overwhelming. When mom’s nurse stepped out of the room and saw me crying, she immediately asked, “Oh dear, are you okay?” as I started to sob.

I could only gurgle out apologies for being so overwhelmed with their compassion for mom. That nurse gently reassured me: “Everyone here at hospice is here to do everything they can for your mom.” She added that working at Rotary Hospice was her dream job.

I’m still crying tears of gratitude over a year later.

Everyone should be lucky enough to live at hospice during the final leg of their earthly race. The volunteers and staff are UNBELIEVABLY amazing.