07/22/2025
“It was more than just support,” Cathy Brothers shares. “It was an atmosphere, something deeply calming, loving, and gentle. Everyone there made it possible for us to simply be with him.”
After a fall at home and a short hospital stay, Cathy’s husband John, declined quickly. Yet in the midst of that urgency, there was unexpected grace. At hospice, Cathy, along with their two children, Joe and Emilie, were able to be at John’s side constantly.
“He was never alone. He knew we were with him,” she says. “Even in his final hours, he responded with little winks or squeezes of the hand. We knew he was still there with us.”
That closeness, both physical and emotional, was made possible by the environment of hospice.
“The volunteers, the warm blankets, the food cart with fresh bread pudding... It sounds small, but those things carried us,” Cathy recalls with a smile.
One of the most touching memories involved. John’s sense of humour, even near the end. The team’s heartfelt care offered room for stories, silence, connection, laughter and letting go.
One afternoon, the family’s little dog, Elton, was found curled up on the lap of a resident who had no visitors, gently receiving her affection.
"He just knew where he was needed,” Cathy says. “That’s the kind
of place hospice is, where even the dog feels the love.”
That’s what makes Hospice unforgettable, it’s a place where someone can have a good death, where love can shine even brighter.
Thank you to Cathy Brothers for sharing this experience with us. ❤️
This story was originally featured in our 2024/2025 Annual Report: https://bit.ly/44NFqcC
