Paula was in nursing school at Madonna University when she and her chemistry lab partner, Sister Mary Catherine, were working with combustible chemicals. As the two of them began mixing things, Paula teased, “Be careful, Sister. You’re going to get me killed and I’m afraid of dying.” “Why are you afraid of dying?” Sister Mary Catherine asked. “You need to go over to see Sister Giovanni and start working for her at the Care Center. Put in an application.” Paula thought about it and ended up applying for a position as a contingent nursing assistant. She was hired almost immediately. She continued working at Angela Hospice until she finished her nursing degree and took a full-time position at a nearby hospital. But she held onto her intention of being a hospice nurse. When a position opened up three years later, she applied right away, and has been working in the Care Center now almost 20 years. “Why I stay is because it’s an honor and I love the challenge of symptom co...

If a picture is worth a thousand words, John MacDonald has about 3-million things to say. The 94-year-old, who was once a war photographer, still takes gorgeous photos. When the weather is right, you’ll find him in the yard at his daughter’s house, perched on the front porch, where he patiently and quietly awaits the perfect shot. “That’s one of my favorites,” he said as he pulled up a photo of a hummingbird on his MacBook. He has over 3,000 photos stored on his laptop, all organized by subject matter. “These were all taken just sitting on the chair there on that porch,” he said. John lives with his daughter Barb and her husband in their home. It’s there that John has been receiving Angela Hospice home care services since May. Having hospice care at home has allowed John to keep living his life – and keep taking pictures. John shows off one of his favorite photos that he's taken: a  hummingbird drinking nectar from a butterfly bush. “He loves showing his pictures to...

Hiatham Breadiy  and his mother, Azeza.  The first thing you notice about Azeza Breadiy is her immense determination and focus. Her firstborn son, Hiatham, has a severe form of epilepsy called Lafora Disease. This disease typically doesn’t manifest itself until adolescence. Children grow up normally, with no perceivable problems until they begin to suffer with seizures. Hiatham is 15 and was recently diagnosed with Lafora. From manifestation, which is normally the first seizure, a Lafora victim will die typically within 10 years. There is no cure. Therapy is primarily palliative and aimed at reducing seizures. This is when Angela Hospice stepped in to support the Breadiy family. Social Worker Amanda Davis Amanda Davis is Hiatham’s Angela Hospice social worker. She has teamed up with Azeza and the family to help find community resources for the many things they need to keep Hiatham comfortable. The Breadiy family has three other children, Sophie, age 11; Gehad, ...

Sometimes the unimaginable happens. As a single mom, 44-year-old Carrie was used to a life of struggles, yet she seemed to get through them all with an inner strength. Call it perseverance – or maybe stubbornness – but Carrie did not give up easily.  Carrie worked hard to provide for her daughter. She was independent, but devoted herself to taking care of others. Maybe that’s why it was easy for her to overlook her own needs. So a seemingly harmless wound on her leg felt like a minor issue, not something she needed to get checked right away. What she never would have guessed is how that one decision would change her life forever. On October 28, 2015, Carrie went to bed fatigued, with a fever and chills, hoping to sleep off what she thought was the flu. But she was about to begin a traumatic journey.  Awaking in a delusion, without a sense of place or time, Carrie was rushed to the hospital. She would be flown to the nearest trauma center for emergency surger...

A still from the documentary "Being Mortal." On November 9 join us for a free screening of the Frontline documentary "Being Mortal," which is based on Dr. Atul Gawande's best-selling book of the same name. A panel discussion will follow the screening at Madonna University. Read more about the panelists below. Kathleen A. Aseltyne Assistant Professor, Hospice and Palliative Studies, Department of Nursing, Madonna University Dr. Aseltyne completed her PhD. in 2013 at Oakland University in Counseling and Education, and also holds a Certificate in Bereavement from Madonna University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and has worked in various mental health settings including community mental health, and cancer and bereavement support groups. Dr. James Boal Angela Hospice Medical Director A graduate of Wayne State University’s College of Medicine, Dr. James Boal became employed in July 2000 as Angela Hospice’s full-time hospice m...