Our Stories - Life is Precious

Rainbow Bright
Betty Smith

Jun, 2015

Betty Jane Smith, Hospice Aide, Transportation, at the Merlin and Carolyn Hanson Hospice Center shared the following:

“Many times after checking in our families at the Hanson Hospice Center, I have the pleasure of visiting with others who we have transferred from their homes. Not too long ago, Brandon, a social worker, was playing the piano for a gentleman and his family at the center.  I sang along to ‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘It Is Well With My Soul.’  I held the man’s hand as he had tears in his eyes and said so softly, “thank you, thank you.”  His wife smiled gently as she sang along.  

“We get to see the smiles, receive the hugs, and sense the relief of the families after settling their loved ones in at Hanson Hospice Center.  Families are able to enjoy the precious time left with their loved one without the stress of caregiving. Their gratitude is humbling to receive.

“I believe in my heart that the acts of compassion, being by their sides, building those relationships, performing simple everyday tasks for them is a port in the storm they are facing, the rainbow in their rain.  Going above and beyond meeting the needs of our patients and their families makes every day a great day……it helps us all be their Rainbow. “