Stories

Composite story written by John Mowry based on his experiences working with families at end-of-life. My sister, brother and I sat in silence in the “family room”. The doctor had explained that Dad had suffered a life-threatening stroke and decisions needed to be made...

By: Meredith Hill, Hospice Peterborough Volunteer The Borland family lives across the road and we've only known them in a way that's slightly more than acquaintances. However, in the last four years we have watched as Margaret, the matriarch in her eighties, struggled...

By: Rachelle Kennedy, Hospice Peterborough Facilitator and Volunteer There was a biting cold and wild wind that was gusting off the shores of the great lake that day. The waves were wicked and relentless. It was as though all the pent-up coldness of the season had...

By: David Kennedy, Bereavement Coordinator at Hospice Peterborough He stood in the chaos of boxes and paper – the reminders of the holidays that brought a trail of family and people into his house. Everyone was trying to make this Christmas better than it could be....

By: David Kennedy, Bereavement Coordinator at Hospice Peterborough Life just didn’t seem to matter anymore; each morning was a struggle - one that John had to do, not for himself but for his family who still needed him. Since their mother had died his adult children...

By: David Kennedy, Bereavement Coordinator “I can’t believe it has been a whole year!” She sat in the same chair she did a year ago, but she is not the same person. “I must admit,” she added sheepishly “I really didn’t think I would last a year. I am pretty sure that...

By: A Hospice Client My entire life changed four years ago. Since that tragic day, I’ve had an extremely difficult time sorting through so many emotions – blame, anger, confusion, crippling sadness – and struggling to answer the question WHY? Why me? Why us? Why this?...