Please welcome Pamela Biron, of East Montpelier, Vermont, as our Fall Appeal Honorary Chair. Below is a copy of the letter Pamela wrote and shared with Central Vermonters for the Fall Appeal.
Dear Friends of CVHHH:
I would like to personally share how Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice (CVHHH) has had a profound impact on my family.
My husband Anthony was diagnosed with Frontal Variant Alzheimer’s, Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) behavioral variant (bvFTD) in April 2021 at age 57. Anthony’s diagnosis, at times, was incredibly challenging to manage, but it was our hope that I would be able to care for him in our home. We learned that CVHHH’s Hospice program would allow us to do just that, in a safe and peaceful way. In February 2022, we began our hospice journey.
The hospice team, our team of Angels, provided compassionate, respectful, collaborative, and loving care to Anthony, meeting both his physical and emotional needs. Anthony was always comforted to see his hospice caregivers arrive at our home. He knew he was safe in their kind, gentle, calming, and compassionate hands. Every hospice team member took the time to talk with Anthony, not only about his care, but also personally connecting with him about things that were meaningful to him: his hobbies, stories he liked to share, his faith and even just about his day. It did not matter the topic, they were attentive and truly listened, which meant the world to him.
I learned that the hospice team was not only there for Anthony, but they were also there to support me through this exceedingly difficult and challenging time. As his primary caregiver, they kept me informed, educated, and equipped to care for Anthony and they always asked me if I needed a helping hand. Their kind words and, sometimes, a much-needed hug, were timely reminders that I wasn’t managing this on my own. For that, I am forever grateful.
Words cannot fully express how thankful I am for the care, dignity, respect, and compassion that CVHHH’s hospice team provided during the duration of Anthony’s care. Anthony passed away peacefully in April 2022, and the hospice team, with just a phone call, was there for me. They continued to be there for me in the days that followed, checking in and, later, over the course of several months, providing bereavement services and grief support groups, to help me during this new phase of my life.
We are so extremely fortunate in our community to have CVHHH available, providing ethical, high-quality, patient-centered care. Your gift today will help to ensure that other neighbors in our community can experience the benefits of compassionate end-of-life care when they need it most, just as Anthony and I did.
Your gift to the Fall Appeal ensures that Central Vermonters can access compassionate end-of-life care when and where they want it, at home. Click the button below to contribute via our secure online forms.