Hospice

Bouquet sent by Abbey last week and serving as greeting point inside our home.

It is with a heavy heart that I write to let you know that Deb’s continuing care will be moved today to Northern Light Hospice after consultation with her medical team and consideration of her symptom progression. The two and a half year struggle with ALS has been an opportunity for Deb to write another chapter on fortitude and grace in her life’s story, so the passage to this phase of her journey was difficult, requiring in many ways more courage and faith than the years leading up to it.

From the day of her last hospital discharge in October, Deb has been committed to remaining at home; and we have continued to build beautiful memories within these four walls in the face of her struggle, here in quiet moments together, with our children and family, and as dear friends visited over these months. As we look back over the seven months since undergoing emergency surgery in Cleveland, we directed all of our energies into getting Deb home, enduring three harrowing months in four hospitals where days of progress were often followed by weeks of gut-wrenching setbacks. Through it all, Deb remained a positive force and magnificent witness to her faith for those who cared for her, from surgeons to ICU nurses to the quiet hospital worker who might come in to pick up around her room. Her humanity and respect would be reflected in small compliments about a person’s haircut or hospital scrubs, written on her Boogie Board or communicated with a smile or wave. As her ALS reality granted no quarter over the past month, it became clear to Deb and all of us that it was time to turn our primary focus to her physical comfort.

We would ask those of you who pray to include Deb and our family in those appeals as we seek continued wisdom and peace in the time ahead of us. If you would like to communicate with Deb, please write (there is a section of this site for personal messages to be sent to Deb). I will read each of your notes to her, and nothing would mean more to her than to hear from you. We have been blessed with weekend visitors over the past few months and family members stopping by the house to be present in this chapter, each of whom is embracing Deb with their love.

We are grateful for your support and are thinking of each of you, and I am filled with peace knowing that all of you have been out there in support of this brilliant, courageous, and beautiful woman during this awful and heartbreaking struggle.

The Chickees dialed in purple flowers yesterday from Deb's favorite florist.