Hospice of the Comforter

Arlene McCutcheon, Hospice of the Comforter volunteer and RN, shares how a chance meeting at our volunteer appreciation luncheon turned her love of hospice care into a career...

     "I was introduced to the hospice concept by an article in Newsweek about the 2000 PBS series “On Our Own Terms: Moyers on Dying.” I was inspired by the stories of people wanting their end-of-life wishes to be heard and honored. After moving to Central Florida, I drove past Hospice of the Comforter and felt drawn to be involved. As soon as I became a volunteer, I knew that I belonged.
     I volunteered in many patients’ homes. One patient’s story remains in my heart. Helen, age 94, was a young woman during the Great Depression. She spoke of the many men who were out of work. They were desperate, hungry and had mouths to feed. They stood on street corners and sold apples so they would not have to beg for a hand-out. There was an unspoken courtesy of never taking a man’s last apple. That apple represented the man’s dignity.
     I learned how compassion can be expressed in a single, silent gesture. As hospice caregivers, we do all we can to ensure the dignity of the patients and families we serve. It is the core of our mission.
     At a volunteer appreciation luncheon in 2002, Hospice of the Comforter LPN Esther Mau sat next to me. She planted an idea which grew inside my heart. She told me to take something that I love and build a career around it. I began the prerequisite coursework for nursing school the following year. This June, I graduated with honors from Seminole State College and was pinned as a registered nurse. This was done with the unwavering support of my family, inspiration from my children and the encouragement from patients and families I have served.
     I am not sure where I will begin my career as a nurse, but know in my heart that I will come home to hospice."