Support from Victoria Hospice inspired Debbie Greentree to raise more than $2,300 by participating in Hike for Hospice last year. We’re grateful to Debbie for sharing her experience here.
My husband, Lynn Greentree, had a gift for making people feel important. He was a unique and treasured individual and he always found the good in others. Whenever any healthcare folks came to see us, he always would smile and show an interest in them and ask what they were up to.
Lynn passed at the age of 71 in March 2022, just eleven months after receiving a cancer diagnosis. He seemed able to accept his fate, telling me we’ve been dealt a bad hand, but life goes on. For me, it’s still hard to accept. He was so healthy – I thought we had another ten or fifteen years.
I was consumed with worry from the moment Lynn was diagnosed. My concerns were relieved through support from the Victoria Hospice Palliative Response Team as his illness progressed. Their regular visits and phone calls enabled Lynn to fulfill his wish to remain at home for as long as possible before receiving end-of-life care on the Inpatient Unit.
When Lynn arrived at hospice he seemed at peace and relaxed and no longer worrying about me helping him. Thanks to the volunteers and staff, I was able to focus all my love on him.
At hospice, they really understand where you are at on this journey even if you’re feeling despair, sadness, and not really accepting the outcome. The conversations we had with the counsellors on the unit helped me and my family members feel seen, heard and cared for, the same way Lynn always did.
After Lynn passed, I took advantage of the grief counselling sessions offered at Victoria Hospice, and also joined a Walking Through Grief Group and I found people who were going through the same process as me.
I participated in Hike for Hospice in honour of Lynn last spring. They give so much at Victoria Hospice, and I wanted to give back. It did feel strange asking for donations, but I did it, and I was successful. I was floored by all the support I received but it’s such a worthy cause. As much as none of us want to be seriously sick or need end-of-life care, most of us are going to need this service at some point.