As an artist, having your artwork on display in New York City could be truly exciting. But while Sylvia Bandyke’s work was being featured in Times Square this past March, she was far away from the big city lights, gathered with family in her mother’s Dearborn home.
Sylvia and her sister, Mary Hope, had been taking care of their mother, Helen, for the last several years. As Helen’s mobility declined, her daughters hired a caregiver in the neighborhood, Sharon Stanley, to help on days when they couldn’t be there with her. As Helen grew weaker, she relied on Sharon more, for help getting ready for bed, using the stairs, and eventually for getting in and out of a wheelchair. It was a huge relief for Sylvia and Mary Hope to know that Sharon was there and could help their mother.
When Covid hit, Sylvia quarantined with her mother and sister, making art in their cozy family home with the “gorgeous natural light.”
Sylvia found inspiration there, noticing the different ways the light shone from the north, east, and south windows. She found ways to capture not only beauty, but precious memories there through her photography and collages. Just as Sylvia found beautiful moments in their home, her mother also savored their life together.
Mary Hope, Sylvia, and Helen
“It was inspiring to watch Mother,” Sylvia reflected. “She couldn’t even walk anymore, but she still found these everyday ways to be content and to experience joy. It was really beautiful.”
One afternoon, as Sharon took Helen for a walk through the neighborhood, a sudden rainstorm began. Mary Hope, a retired art teacher, sensed an artistic opportunity and called Sylvia over to capture the moment. Sylvia took many photos, creating a series of collages to honor the dedication of Sharon’s care, and the beauty of such a simple, fleeting moment.
As Helen’s health continued to decline, she transitioned from Angela Palliative Care to Angela Hospice’s home hospice program so she and her family could have around the-clock support.
Her nurse, Kristyn, would visit during the day, and Sylvia could call the Patient Support Center whenever they had a question or needed help. Day or night, support was only a phone call away.
“One night the nurse even called the doctor at 3 a.m. when Mother needed a new medicine added,” Sylvia relayed. “Their availability was remarkable.”
After about a month in hospice care, Helen passed away peacefully on March 29, 2025 – her 104th birthday.
“We thought she had more time,” Sylvia said. “We thought Mother would recover…” just as she had so many times in the past.
After Helen’s death, one of Angela Hospice’s grief counselors reached out to Sylvia as well, continuing Angela’s compassionate care for Sylvia and Mary Hope.
For Sylvia, art has become more than a creative outlet—it has become a tool for healing.
“It’s almost like meditation, in a way. It helps so much,” Sylvia said. She continues to use her artistic talent to capture life’s beautiful moments and as a tool to help process her grief.
Sylvia had always been interested in photography, but after visiting ArtPrize in Grand Rapids years ago, she decided to submit some of her work to the festival, and exhibited as an artist there from 2014-2018. She has exhibited in other shows as well, including those in New York this year.
Angela Hospice’s caring support is available to families both before and after a loved one dies, through donor-funded programs like our one-on-one grief counseling. To make a gift and provide loving support to families like the Bandykes, visit angelahospice.org/donate.
