{"id":29432,"date":"2017-04-15T05:01:59","date_gmt":"2017-04-15T09:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huntsville.dopperonline.ca\/?p=29432"},"modified":"2017-04-15T06:28:30","modified_gmt":"2017-04-15T10:28:30","slug":"hospice-huntsville-home-away-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/hospice-huntsville-home-away-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Hospice Huntsville: Home away from home"},"content":{"rendered":"

Toward the end of 2015, 84-year-old Jean McDonald went to the hospital thinking there was something wrong with her heart. But instead of being diagnosed with a heart condition, McDonald learned she had stage 4 lung cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt got to a point where we couldn’t help her on our own,\u201d said her daughter Joan McDonald, who lives in Toronto. McDonadld and her six siblings would take turns coming to care for their mother while they waited for a spot in Hospice Huntsville to open.<\/p>\n

<\/broadstreet-zone><\/strong><\/div>\n

“We heard so many wonderful things about Hospice Huntsville from some friends who had friends in hospice,\u201d said McDonald. \u201cIt’s where she wanted to be. She would have preferred to stay at home until the end but she couldn’t. She was very happy when she got there – it still felt like a home and they made her so comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n

McDonald and her family members also appreciated that Hospice Huntsville felt very much like a home, especially since most of their homes were a couple hours away.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a big family and we could come up for the day and stay over (in their mother’s home). The kitchen in hospice was great. We could go get groceries and use their kitchen to make a meal instead of eating out,\u201d said McDonald. \u201cWe didn’t want to go out and eat because we didn’t want to leave. My sister bakes and the staff loved when she would make butter tarts.\u201d<\/p>\n

McDonald said the staff and volunteers at Hospice Huntsville were very helpful in their journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey made you feel so comfortable. The PSWs sit you down and tell you what to expect, the ups and downs, and they really, really prepare you,\u201d said McDonald. \u201cWhen you think of hospice, you think of great wonderful things but at the same time it’s sad times because of the situation. People we know up here refer to the staff as angels.\u201d<\/p>\n

McDonald would encourage other families to use the services at Hospice Huntsville.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would tell them how great it is. After you’re there for a day you’ll realize you made the right move,\u201d said McDonald. \u201cI would definitely recommend it and explain all the other benefits, such as how comfortable residents are made to be. It was a great place for our mom to be. If we had any questions they would answer them. And it wasn’t all serious. You need to be able to joke and laugh for your sanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Members

Members of the McDonald family with the Purple Boot Trophy they received for Team Jean’s fundraising efforts<\/p><\/div>\n

McDonald and a number of family members participated in last year’s Hike for Hospice, raising $3,100, which was then matched by McDonald’s employer Mackenzie Investments for a total of $6,200.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to do the hike again and hopefully have even more people join us,\u201d said McDonald.<\/p>\n

Last year they had about 30 members on their team, Team Jean McDonald is hoping other companies will support their employees or a team participating in the hike and match their donations.<\/p>\n\n\t\t