Hoping To Give Back To Hospice

Hi, my name is Donna Fontenot (known on the Internet as DazzlinDonna) and I have a hospice story to share. Six years ago, my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. Despite the many rounds of chemo and various attempts to stop the spread of the disease, it quickly became apparent that the disease had progressed too rapidly for treatment to be of any use. We were dealt the blow that the end was near, and hospice care was suggested.

It took a little time to let the realization sink in, and to grasp the real significance of what hospice really meant. At first, it felt like giving up, but it only took one meeting with the hospice angels to understand how important this would be.

I call the hospice staff "angels" for good reason, and without any specific spiritual connotations attached. I envision them as true angels on earth, because without exception, each one that dealt with our family was indescribably "good". Really, there are no words to explain what I mean, but if you can imagine your version of pure goodness wrapped in a person, you'll come close to imagining the hospice angels.

Our angels accomplished two incredible things in the short time they cared for my mother. First, and most importantly, they gave Mom peace and allowed her to leave us with dignity. They made her feel comforted and comfortable. They eased her physical pain and treated her with an incredible amount of gentle emotional care. Second, and nearly as important, they gave us, the family and caretakers, the understanding we needed. They were there for me when I needed to grasp the reality of my mother's pending death. They helped me understand what to expect at the various stages of her last days, which greatly eased my anxiety. Quite simply, they were angels to my mom, to me, and to our entire family.

I've often thought of my hospice angels since then and have always wanted to be able to give something back. I can never thank them enough, but perhaps I can contribute a little something along the way. To that end, I've chosen the Hospice Foundation of America as my charity of choice in a project in which I'm involved. I am a search engine optimizer (SEO) by occupation, and a few fellow SEOs have joined me in a two month weight-loss charity event. The public is invited to watch as we share our weight loss struggles at SEOsFightFat.com. The winning SEO (the one who loses the most weight), gets to choose the charity that will be receiving all sponsorship funds. I'm trying very hard to be that winner, because I would love to see those donations sent to HFA. It's a small thing, but my efforts to win are my small way of saying thank you to our hospice angels.