I’ve been fairly absent lately. The reason being, my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer back in July. He had no symptoms until he literally couldn’t walk anymore (a tumor metastasized on his spine).
Anyways, it’s been a very tough half a year. He passed away just before Thanksgiving.
I want to make a gift for the hospice that took care of him, and possibly for the MICU at Rhode Island Hospital.
So, I come to one of the best places I know on the internet to ask if you have any suggestions for gifts.
I wish I had some ideas, but just wanted to say I’m sorry for your loss
When my father-in-law was dying of cancer the hospice folks told us we wouldn’t remember any of their names, and darn if that isn’t true. I think it is great that you want to do something to remember them, they are invaluable in these situations and should be remembered.
I was amazed at how much empathy the ones my f-i-l had before he died this spring. They came to see us in his room while we waited for the funeral home to come pick up his body. Every one of them was super. One of them had been continuing to work with him on doing just a little physical therapy during the last few months and as he declined, less but still helping him move a bit. She came in even though it was her day off.
It takes a far different person than I to do that work. I spent years on an ambulance but was always more distanced from the patient - more clinical as it was generally trauma I was dealing with. The caring and sensitivities needed to care for hospice patients in the final days is just beyond my ability to understand. They’re some of the best people.
@joe, They are Angels on Earth. I am married to one.
What @deirdrebeth said - Take your feelings and express them with your creativity and mixed materials. You got this man!
Thanks to those who give of themselves like the valley breathes its fragrance into space
Perhaps Cherry ply with the organization’s logo engraved large, with acrylic on stand-offs mounted above it with an appropriate engraving… hung with a couple of These.
Let your feelings loose, your laser can describe them on a multitude of materials.
A thank you paque they could hang on the wall particularly multi layer, though those night light with the acrylic pieces for the office of each of them would amazing as well.
What is the hospice like? Do they have things hanging on the walls? An art object they can hang on the wall then. Places like that are usually flooded with food during the holidays, but the holidays are pretty much over so maybe an edible gift in a week or two.
I am so sorry to hear of your loss. Losing a parent is so very hard.
Next to all the great suggestions above, if you want to do something simple for the staff, you can think of making them a bunch of keychains with the hospice logo on it.
Not to make light of anyone’s sense of loss, just a different perspective.
Consider that the human genome is capable of generating trillions of unique humans, which means most people who could ever exist will never even be born. So death is kind of a privilege for those few of us who have known life.
Please accept my deep condolences. My Mom passed away last year from cancer as well. 2019 was a Hard year. I hope you’re doing OK.
Hospice workers are the best. My mom was at home, but they visited several times a week. Those folks are better than I’ll ever be.
As your Dad was in a home, I would say that plaque ideas you’re getting are great. Maybe if they have room for it in a common area one of the tea-light designs would be nice, with a thank-you from your family to the facility carved in?
