REAL LIFE STORIES AND YOUR 2010 ANNUAL REPORT of you... This 2010 report shares stories of people whose lives were transformed, who found hope when they were past hope... thanks to the work we did together. You made this all possible. Thank you. Without Providence Hospice, Brandon wouldn t have had the quality of life and the experiences he did during his last year. Brandon s mom, Kris I N S I D E 3 Charda s story: She found help when she needed it most Brandon, age 4, with his greyhound, Rudy. Brandon LOVED Rudy! 10-year-old with brain tumor: I m done Because of you, Brandon was able to spend his final months at home 5 7 2010 Financial Report: How we did it together A message of gratitude from Liz Demaree Brandon Brauns was a normal 4-year-old. He loved to play outside and dig in the dirt. He was so fun to hang out with and go on vacation with! said his mom, Kris. But Brandon was getting frequent headaches that were becoming more and more intense. On the morning of February 3, 2003, he was almost unresponsive. Kris rushed him to the emergency room. That night, they found out he had a brain tumor. For the next 7 years, Brandon underwent numerous treatments. He was in and out of the hospital. It was exhausting. In early 2009, he d had enough. He turned to his mom and said, I m done. Kris was scared. She didn t know how she d be able to care for him at home. Thanks to you, our children s hospice and palliative care program showed her she could. Our team of nurses and social workers visited Brandon and Kris regularly. They made sure he got the medications and treatments he needed, and they made sure Kris had everything she needed to care for her son. Brandon s last year was filled with amazing experiences dog sledding at Whistler, snowmobiling, a visit to McChord Air Force Base, and a trip to Vancouver, British Columbia. see Brandon on Page 2 INSIDE: Read about Charda another patient you ve helped with your support.
Grandmother isn t facing cancer alone Helen Keeling has had a full life. She grew up in Cashmere, WA; married; raised 2 children; worked as a bookkeeper and office manager; and took many trips with Elderhostel. Eventually, she moved to a retirement home, where she lived independently for 4 years. Having lived a rich and fulfilling life, Helen Keeling is being cared for and comforted by hospice. Brandon continued from front page Brandon gives a thumbs-up to breakfast during a trip to Vancouver, BC, 2 months before he died. But her health declined. She could no longer stand on her own and had to move to a nursing home in Seattle. Soon after, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. That s when Providence Hospice of Seattle stepped in to help. For Helen, the most helpful part of hospice has been the nursing care. It s very reassuring, she said. And she s loved the massages. They help her relax. Her social worker, Ed, visits regularly. He s very nice and very easy to talk to, said Helen. Her hospice volunteer, Nicole, comes each week to read to her. Helen used to be an avid reader, but her eyes have gotten so bad that she can no longer read. So, she really looks forward to Nicole s visits. All the help that Helen has gotten would not have been possible without you and your generous gifts. Thank you for making her life a little easier. Without Providence Hospice, Brandon wouldn t have had the quality of life and the experiences he did during his last year. And he probably would have died in the hospital. Brandon died at home on March 20, 2010. He was 11 years old. To honor his life, Kris started Brandon s Goal Foundation, to cure childhood cancer. Providence Hospice of Seattle is one of the beneficiaries. Kris is incredibly grateful for the help you made possible. Brandon and his family are just one example of how you ve helped families here in the Seattle area. Thank you for giving them the chance to live out the rest of his days together. Care that s above and beyond Insurance pays for ordinary hospice care, yes. But extraordinary hospice care the kind you count on here at Providence Hospice of Seattle, the kind that will be here for you and for anyone in need is only possible thanks to donors like you. At Hospice, we care for people which means we end up doing a lot more than checking a patient s vitals. You see, we re not here to help people die. We re here to help people live. Adult Hospice Services provides physical, emotional, and spiritual care to adults nearing the end of their lives, including support for their families and friends. Stepping Stones provides specialized medical, emotional, and spiritual support to children diagnosed with a life-limiting or terminal illness. Transitions is a free non-medical support program for people who may not be ready or eligible for hospice but who need help determining what resources are most appropriate for their situation. Grief Support Services offers emotional guidance and support for adults before and after the death of a loved one. Safe Crossings, our children s grief program, offers specialized, compassionate care to children and their families who are grieving the death of a loved one. Complementary Therapy provides comfort services above and beyond hospice care, from full body massage to relaxing live music. Volunteer Program supports our patients and their families with companionship, respite care, transportation, light household assistance, and more. Thank you for caring!
HELPING PEOPLE LIVE LIFE TO ITS FULLEST Charda (left) with her volunteer, Larissa. Larissa visits her weekly, helping with housework, walking her dog, Ginger, and reminding her that she s not alone. Battling kidney disease, Charda doesn t have to struggle alone Her life hasn t been easy. Charda Hastings spent her childhood caring for her mom, who suffered from polycystic kidney disease. When she was just 18 years old, Charda was also diagnosed with the disease. Then her mom died when she was 22. For more than 10 years, Charda s health was stable and her disease remained in check. But 6 years ago, her kidneys stopped working. She started regular dialysis. That s when her friends her support system began stepping away. Thanks to you, Charda Hastings, pictured here with her dog, Ginger, is getting support and guidance as she battles kidney disease. It was too much for them to handle, said Charda. It left her all alone. Asking for help has always been hard for her, so she persevered. But her health continued to decline, as did her spirits. Dialysis was exhausting, both physically and mentally. She wasn t sure how long she could keep going. Thanks to generous donors like you, Providence Hospice of Seattle s Transitions Program was there to help. It s the best thing that s ever happened to me, said Charda. Without this program, I wouldn t be here. Her social worker checks in with her regularly. And her volunteer visits weekly, helping her keep up her apartment and walk her beloved dog, Ginger. Charda is incredibly grateful for the support she s getting. She goes to dialysis three days a week for five hours at a time. It s a lot to endure, week after week. Without Providence Hospice of Seattle, Charda said she wouldn t have been able to continue it for as long as she has. I ve never met people more giving and more interested in my life. I can t find the words to express what a Godsend they ve been. We help people experience stressfree moments of joy, happiness, and peace each day...and moments of accomplishment too. We improve the quality of life for any person, young or old, with a life-limiting illness. We care for people wherever they reside at home, at an adult family home, assisted living facility, nursing home, or even a hospital. We help regardless of their ability to pay. Facing death is hard. But it gets a little easier when we stand together. THANK YOU! This 2010 report tells stories of people whose lives were transformed thanks to the work we did together. Your generosity makes this all possible. Providence Hospice of Seattle Foundation Staff Gary Crum Foundation Director Jill Perry Manager of Annual Giving Cindy McRoberts Major Gifts Officer Ann Martin Development Assistant 425 Pontius Avenue N, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98109 Telephone: (206) 320-7188 Fax: (206) 320-7366 HospiceFoundation@providence.org www.providence.org/hospiceofseattle 3
Matt has made peace with the loss of his dad. With help from grief counselors, Matt and Andrew are moving forward with their lives. Andrew knows that dealing with his dad s death is going to get better. Young brothers lose their dad to cancer But thanks to you, Matt and Andrew are moving forward with their lives They were just 13 and 9 when their dad, Scott, died from lung cancer. He was 55 years old and had been sick for only 7 months. Matt and Andrew were devastated. Their mom, Marilynn, had heard about Providence Hospice of Seattle s children s grief support program. It was a lifesaver. During the spring and summer, they took advantage of a parent-child support group, as well as individual grief counseling and a summer picnic. Then, in late August, Matt and Andrew attended Camp Erin -King County. The camp helps kids grieve, gives them a safe place to let out their emotions, and have some fun. Both camp and grief counseling are offered free of charge. This is possible only because of generous donors like you. Matt is now 15, and Andrew is 11. The support they received at camp changed their lives and is helping them move forward. As Matt explained it, Camp was a really powerful experience. There was an immediate connection with the other kids. You could share on a more personal level than with your friends. It helped me come to peace with my dad dying, that it s going to be okay. It s just going to take time and effort. Without this experience, I d be an entirely different person. It has helped shape me into a better person. For Andrew, Camp helped me understand other people and their losses and to know others went through something like I did. It gave me the words to understand what I was feeling. Everything was very personal, which I liked. Without camp, dealing with my dad dying would be harder. The counselors explain that it s going to be hard but that you can t be mad at yourself. It s going to get better. Thank you for helping Matt and Andrew! Brighter futures, because of you.
Look What We ve Accomplished TOGETHER in 2010 2010 Funding Report: Donor Designations by Fund All Others: $52,143 Patient Special Needs Fund: $28,317 Children s Programs: $151,094 Area of Greatest Need: $800,068 Children s Grief Support $257,351 Children s Hospice: $23,281 Transitions Program: $6,054 Patient Special Needs Fund: $28,317 Children s Programs: $151,094 Children s Grief Support: $257,351 Children s Hospice: $23,281 Transitions Program: $6,054 Area of Greatest Need: $800,068 All Others: $52,143 Total Giving: $1,318,308 Total number of gifts: 3,389 Ending Balance of Foundation Funds For the Period Ended Dec. 31, 2010 Permanent and quasi endowed funds: $1,014,745 Restricted for use with specific programs: $416,597 Unrestricted for hospice greatest needs: $359,206 Providence Hospice of Seattle Foundation Total: $1,790,548 Complete audited financial statements are available for review at Providence Hospice of Seattle Foundation. 5
Dear Friends of Providence Hospice of Seattle, The stories you ve read on these pages are stories of hope and healing. They are stories we can share because of you and your generosity. Thank you! The individuals and families who come to us are often filled with fear and uncertainty. They re embarking upon an unfamiliar journey. But with your help, they ve found hope, healing, comfort, and peace. In 2010, you not only made it possible for us to continue providing hospice care to the terminally ill, you made it possible for us to provide extraordinary care that went above and beyond. With your help, we will be able to continue providing extraordinary care to people in our community now and into the future. On behalf of all of us here at Providence Hospice of Seattle, thank you for being one of our greatest friends and allies as we work together to care for our community. With deepest gratitude, Liz Demaree, President Board of Directors Providence Hospice of Seattle Foundation Providence Hospice of Seattle Foundation 425 Pontius Avenue North, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98109 7
Minister knew how to comfort the dying, but he wasn t sure how to die At the end of his life, Harvey was able to focus on living Harvey was able to live out his final month at home with his family. 1 Harvey and his wife, Carol, were able to focus on enjoying their final days together. Harvey Melhaff lay in bed in his Snoqualmie Ridge home. He was paralyzed from the waist down due to the prostate cancer that he d been fighting for years. His wife, Carol, was by his side, making sure he was fed, cleaned and cared for. But Carol and Harvey weren t alone during the final days of Harvey s life. They had hospice. When Harvey s doctor told him that there was nothing more he could do, they decided to bring in Providence Hospice of Seattle. I m not a trained nurse, said Carol, recalling the time when Harvey was in so much pain that she called hospice every day. I learned this from the ground up. The fact that I knew that backup was there was calming. If I hadn t had this backup I would have been beside myself. As a retired Baptist minister, Harvey had conducted hundreds of funerals and counseled the dying and their families. Still, he had his own questions. It s the process of crossing over. I don t know what s involved, Harvey added. But hospice was there to help. Because of hospice, Harvey and Carol were able to focus on what s most important enjoying life together and living as fully as possible. PROVIDENCE HOSPICE OF SEATTLE FOUNDATION 425 Pontius Avenue N, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98109 TELEPHONE: (206) 320-7188 TOLLFREE: (888) 782-4445 CONSULTATION & REFERRAL: (206) 320-4000 FAX: (206) 320-7366 providence.org/hospiceofseattle