The impact of love
Jim Ransom has lived a full and accomplished life. As an engineer and a dedicated salesperson for a steel company, he spent 40 years serving Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. But for Jim, his greatest achievement was always his family. He met his wife, Heath, in college, and together they built a life filled with love, laughter, and purpose, raising two sons and dedicating themselves to meaningful work.
Beyond his family, Jim always believed in giving back, serving on boards for organizations like the Salvation Army and Animal Allies, and even helping to start a dental bus to serve rural communities in the state of Minnesota.
Then, this past November, everything changed. Heath was gone. A brain tumor had taken the woman who had been his heart for decades.
Heath was a force of nature—with boundless energy, and an effortless ability to connect people. As a teacher for 18 years, she taught students with learning disabilities and spent her life lifting others up. Outside the classroom, she built a community of women who found strength in each other—through skiing, bridge, and Professional Education Organization luncheons. She created circles of friendship that stretched far and wide, a truth made evident when over 250 people came to honor her at her service.
At first, Heath resisted hospice care. But when she chose Solvay Hospice House, she did so because of the comfort and dignity it offered. For Jim, Solvay became more than a place of care—it became a sanctuary, a space where he could simply be a husband.
In those final weeks, Jim found himself learning lessons he never expected. Solvay’s nurses and social workers didn’t just care for Heath—they saw Jim, too. They looked into his eyes, asking, “How are you?” And he could feel, deeply, that they truly meant it. It was there, through the quiet grace of hospice, that Jim learned the four gifts—the
simple, powerful words that became his guide: Forgive me. I love you. Thank you. Goodbye.
Tim Robinson, a dedicated social worker who guided Jim and Heath through the dying process, gave Jim a deeper understanding of those words. Through Tim, Jim realized that caring for Heath wasn’t just about easing her pain—it was about honoring and completing their love story.
Heath’s home hospice nurse, Brandy Anderson, also provided incredible continuity and comfort. Brandy’s unwavering support was something Jim deeply appreciated, and it only strengthened his belief in the importance of hospice care.
When Heath took her last breath, Jim was by her side. And then, something extraordinary happened—something that stays with him even now. “I saw a smile I had never seen before. She died peacefully, surrounded by love. That smile—that was everything.”
In the wake of his grief, Jim has found a new purpose: to ensure others receive the same compassion, the same peace, that he and Heath did. “I want to make sure no one has to go through this alone,” he says. “That’s why I’m supporting the Miller-Dwan Foundation and Solvay Hospice House.”
Jim realized, it isn’t just about easing pain—it’s about honoring the whole person. It’s about love that doesn’t wane, even in goodbye. “You can’t just say you love someone—you have to tell them why. And hospice helps you do that.”
Owned and stewarded by Miller-Dwan Foundation, Solvay Hospice House provides compassionate care for individuals in their final months, weeks, or days, fostering comfort, pain relief, and strengthened human connections—allowing families and individuals to find peace. Learn more about Solvay Hospice House at mdfoundation.org/support-areas/solvay-hospice.
