My Reflection Of My Hospice Volunteering
Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!
On my last day of volunteering at our hospice, I stood silently before the patient board. I noticed three names on the board, because they kind of stood out at me, almost on purpose. Here they are:
Aranza, 7, brain cancer.
Versal, 78, lung cancer.
Jerri, 98, raspatory failure.
What you are seeing is the name of the patient, their age, and their medical diagnosis. It just seemed like a good representation of my twelve years at this hospice. Aranza was a seven year old Hispanic child. We have had many children die here. We have had many newborn babies. I know because I rocked them in the rocking chair for hours at a time!
The next patient, Versal, was an odd Black gentleman. But he was dying at a normal age. He lived a long a blessed life, and now at the end of a normal life, he is passing away. Most of our patients would fall into this category.
The next patient was Jerri, a very old white woman. She is an example of an very elderly person who had lived longer than most people. I could not visit with her because they did not want volunteers in the room for whatever reason.
I have personally visited with a wide range of patients throughout the years at my time serving at our hospice. It just made me remember all of the years that had gone by and by. It made me sad that this phase in my life was ending, with an unknown future in front of me. I visited with so many beautiful people, who were so different and diverse. I stood there feeling so small.
The Covid-19 virus has changed everything about hospice care. Plus, I am moving away to Lafayette, Louisiana. Many things are changing for me and the industry. I do not what my future will hold for me! If you have any comments, please share them in the comments section. If you like, you can follow this blog and read all of the stories.
William J. Roop
Apostolic Theological Seminary
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