Robin Made a Plan to Live Well Through Hospice
When Taylor turned 9 years old, she decided she really didn't need anything for her birthday. Instead, she asked people to donate to the hospice that cared for Robin, a favorite aunt of Taylor’s who died at age 49 of colon cancer. Taylor collected $600.
Taylor wasn't the only one inspired by Robin's positive hospice experience. Taylor's mother, Alison, now volunteers at the local hospice facility serving breakfast and fluffing pillows, and she bought a poodle that she hopes to train as a therapy dog to spend time with patients. Robin's mother, Joan, also volunteers as a receptionist.
Taylor, Alison, Joan, and many other family members participate in fundraising walks for the hospice, located in Ohio, every fall. "We have a badge that says we're walking in memory of Robin. It's a really neat, connecting type of thing," said Alison.
"Robin had a great experience with hospice," said Alison. "She was in a lot of pain, and when the nurse suggested hospice, she was reluctant at first. None of us knew what it was, but after we went through the experience as a family, we understood. I visited her the first day at the hospice facility and she was a totally different person. They took care of the pain."
"My sister-in-law was on a mission to leave things a certain way, and she needed time in hospice to finish that up. She needed to be awake and pain free."
"Robin had her own room, and a family member stayed with her 24 hours a day," said Alison. "She kind of moved in and made it home. Robin had music therapy and really enjoyed it. She was very content. Her primary goal was pain management so she could have quality time with her kids. My sister-in-law was on a mission to leave things a certain way, and she needed time in hospice to finish that up. She needed to be awake and pain free. She finished her journals for her three sons. She bought christening gowns for babies who didn't yet exist. These were things she wanted to accomplish."
In her 3 months at the hospice facility, Robin constantly visited with family and enjoyed several parties.
"There were always eight or ten of us there every night," remembered Alison. "We had a low-country boil in the parking lot. Robin had orchestrated it from her room.
"I've had the hospice experience several times since then with other relatives," said Alison. "All the experiences are different, but they've all been so positive."