Debbie Bennett was called to be a steadfast wife to husband Thomas and a devoted mother to their  children, Christopher, Kelly, and Robin. She has relied on God to get through the hard times her family has faced, and has been grateful that Angela Hospice was there too, when she really needed support. Robin & Chris In 1989, at the age of 12, Christopher, her oldest child, was diagnosed with a rare neurological disease called Friedreich's Ataxia (FA). Chris was a smart and funny music-lover, and accomplished artist who was beloved by his family and many friends. By his junior year in high school, he began to use a wheelchair. As with many diseases of the nervous system, there has never been a cure or effective treatment for FA. Debbie and her family enlisted Angela Hospice's help to care for Chris before he passed away in 2004. He was just 26 years old. "I didn't know what to expect...hospice comes in and does so much more than care for a sick person, they...

Bill is surrounded by three of his four children at the American Legion Hall in Melvindale, Michigan. "I don't deserve this," said 92-year-old Angela Hospice home care patient Bill Heitman as he walked into his surprise tribute and pinning ceremony that Angela Hospice volunteers planned in his honor. The event took place at the Melvindale, Michigan, American Legion. Many of his friends and family gathered to honor this gentleman. After  serving in the United States Navy in World War II and serving more than 20 years as Chaplain at his American Legion post, Bill does deserve this honor and much more. For more than 40 years, Bill served the American Legion and the Veterans Administration as a volunteer. He and his wife, Helen, brought up 4 children, Keith, Gary, Brian, and Cheryl, who are immensely proud of their parents. Bill is so humble that while working as a divisional forms representative at Ford Motor Company he learned that when you earned a co...

Two of Angela Hospice’s volunteers have given our patients and families a wonderful gift: a beautiful butterfly garden on the grounds of the Angela Hospice Care Center. It’s meant to be more than just something pretty to look at. It’s a place to experience nature in a way that can soothe the soul. (Like most of our selfless volunteers, these two weren’t looking for any recognition when they made this generous gesture, and in fact, they wish to remain anonymous. So let’s call them Oliver and Eve.) It was Oliver who first had the idea for a butterfly garden. He had been reading about native plants, and one day when he was working at the Care Center, the idea struck him: what about installing a butterfly garden at Angela Hospice? “If you’ve ever had something really sad happen in your life and you’re kind of just sitting there contemplating it, you notice the simplest things, things you never would have noticed before,” Oliver said. “And I think that’s what gives you peace. T...