We think about you always,
we talk about you still,
you have never been forgotten
and you never will.
Rain fell hard on Aug. 8 as caregivers, family and friends gathered at Jamestown Regional Medical Center (JRMC) to remember their loved ones.
Members of the JRMC Hospice shared music, prayer and poems. The response of thunder seemed appropriate as messages were directed to the heavens.
Maren Radi, JRMC Hospice Coordinator, who had recently lost her mother, shared the attendees’ feelings of grief.
“There is no right way to mourn,” said Radi, “this ceremony is our way of helping express the pain of loss. It was a bit more personal for me this year.”
Hospice nurses possess a unique ability to provide compassionate care in the most challenging situations. They deeply understand the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of their patients and their families.
“Our hearts hurt for our families,” said Hospice Nurse Nikki Mack. “Although the work includes loss, there is beauty in these moments of life, where all that matters is dignity and comfort.”
The annual ceremony includes a special tree planting which storms delayed until the following morning. A beautiful maple was added to the JRMC Kornovich Healing Gardens under perfectly clear skies.
Attendees wrote personal messages on paper leaves that were planted along with the tree.
JRMC Hospice is the only Jamestown-based hospice service. In the last year, JRMC care providers completed nearly 3,000 hospice visits. The impact on patients and families is profound.
“A blessing. That’s the best word I can think of to describe what it means to take care of our community in this way,” said Mack.