Gratitude for Hospice and Palliative Care

My dad taught me countless lessons as a kid. They included:

• Finish any job/task/project you start
• Ask for help when you need it
• Don't let an avocado that's gone bad stand in the way of eating and enjoying it (he was notorious for saying, "It won't kill ya!")

While I learned so much from my dad's advice, I also learned so much from watching him live, especially toward the end of his life. Diagnosed with a terminal lung disease at the age of 60, I saw him adjust to an increasing number of life limitations, something that was profoundly hard to do for a natural "doer".

The care he received at the end of his life made a hugely positive impact on the way he was able to navigate incredibly hard circumstances. As an example, a friendship he leaned on heavily during this time was with his friend Loren, who was the oxygen technician that would drop off large oxygen tanks every week to the home. Loren, a palliative care provider, quite literally brightened my dad's final days.

MNHPC is a leading voice in health care in Minnesota. Now more than ever, it is essential that we address how we care for the sick and the dying, how we work to combat racial disparities in health care, how we adapt to a changing landscape in how health care is delivered, and how we ensure that everyone has the help they need to live and die according to their wishes. This is MNHPC’s mission.

I give to MNHPC so the fields of hospice and palliative care can continue to grow and reach more Minnesotans who want and would benefit from these services. My hope is that anyone who is battling serious illness has access to someone like Loren.