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A Touching Hospice Wedding, Thanks to a Dedicated Hospice Team By Evalisa McClure, VITAS® Healthcare
And sometimes, the press of time inspires hospice care teams to go above and beyond their everyday roles to make patients’ and families’ wishes comes true, even if the wish involves a last-minute wedding for a VITAS® Healthcare patient. It began on a Wednesday, when patient Tracy was admitted to hospice. Later that afternoon, her daughter Jessica approached our social worker, Leigh Ann, with an unusual request: Would it be possible to hold her wedding, originally scheduled two months out, on Sunday, three days away? She wanted her mother to hear her say “I do” to Jacob, her fiancé. “Trust Me, Honey. We Can Get It Done.” A Team Effort
On Thursday, with Tracy’s mother as officiant and family members gathered around, Jessica and Jacob sealed their vows with a kiss as Tracy watched from her bed. “It turned out to be a very nice day,” Leigh Anne says. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.” “Without a doubt, this is the most gratifying job you’ll ever have, even in the midst of all this sadness,” says Leigh Anne of her dedication to patients, families and the hospice profession. “When you do something for someone with no expectation that they have to do anything in return, it’s a very gratifying feeling.” Evalisa McClure is general manager for VITAS Healthcare in Pittsburgh. For more information about end-of-life care services, call the nation’s leading provider at (866) 759-6695 or visit VITAS.com. ![]() |
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