Before I Die, I Want To…
Following the death of friend to liver failure, artist Candy Chang went through a long period of grief and depression. During that time, she grappled with questions about dying, how she wanted to live her life and maintaining perspective amid daily routine. Curious to know if others felt the same, Chang created a public art exhibit in 2011 and began
Giving the Gift of Comfort
With help from her nurses, a patient signs her daughter’s birthday card, knowing this is the last time she will do so. A wife embraces her husband, sharing a final dance before she is helped back to bed. Jayme Persch, RN, has witnessed many final moments like these at Solvay Hospice House. “They are things I’ll never forget,” she says.
5K Honors John Galo’s Passion to Support Amberwing
Football was a passion of his, as was running. And of course, there was Amberwing Center for Youth & Family Well-Being, which John Galo experienced first-hand with his son. In January, John died of a massive heart attack due to undiagnosed coronary artery disease. On July 19 – National Football Day – his family and friends will host a 5K
Solvay “Feels Like Home”
“Caregiving often calls us to lean into love we didn’t know possible.” ― Tia Walker, from The Inspired Caregiver: Finding Joy While Caring for Those You Love More than 43 million Americans provide unpaid care to an adult or child, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. Sixty percent of these caregivers are female, 34 percent have full-time jobs,
An Opportunity for Cancer Survivors to Connect
In the past two decades, the cancer death rate in the United States has dropped 25 percent, which equals 2.1 million fewer cancer deaths. Today, there are more than 15.5 million cancer survivors in the U.S. But cancer care doesn’t end when treatment ends. In its wake, cancer leaves a host of physical, emotional, and financial hardships that often persist
Solvay Provides Comfort
Dave Emerson knew Solvay Hospice House had good things to offer. Yet, it was nothing like what he expected. “Everything was warm and peaceful,” he says. “I just didn’t realize what a quality place it is.” Dave’s mom, Carol, fought cancer for more than 10 years, and at 70, spent her final days at Solvay. Carol’s family gathered in her
Ensuring the Future of Solvay Hospice House
In 2007, the Miller-Dwan Foundation opened Solvay Hospice House. Since then 1,800 patients have been cared for in the home’s warm and comforting embrace, while families have gathered to share sacred moments at the end of loved ones’ lives. “Solvay House has been such an incredible experience for all in my family. The care for Dad has been over-the-top, and
Healing Touch Study Reveals Benefits for Patients
In a patient room at the Polinsky Medical Rehabilitation Center, a man lies in bed, acutely aware of the pain that is radiating through his body. He’s been here for 2 weeks following a car accident in which his spine was injured. A woman in medical scrubs stands next to him, but she’s not administering IV medicine or checking vitals.
A Special Conversation about Hope, Hospice and Healing
“After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”
— Albus Dumbledore, from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1998) Whatever our religious or spiritual beliefs may be, few of us talk much about death and dying. According to a 2014 study by the Institute of Medicine, less than 30 percent of Americans had discussed end-of-life care,
SafeKids: Boy George and the Miller-Dwan Foundation Share a Passion
On the first episode of NBC’s new show, The Celebrity Apprentice, Boy George won $50,000 for the charity of his choice, Safe Kids Worldwide, whose mission is to protect kids from the No. 1 cause of death to children in the United States, unintentional injuries. The Miller-Dwan Foundation shares Boy George’s passion. MDF has granted funds to Safe Kids Northeast
