The staff and volunteers at Angela House would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who participated in this year’s Walk of Remembrance. A huge shout out to all of the teams who did extra fundraising in memory of the loved ones that they’ve lost. The support and donations from this event will help fund our Good Samaritan and Bereavement charitable programs.
One team in particular has been there from the very start. Diane Pawlica and her family have participated in this annual event since its inception in 2008. They walk as team “Luszczynski and Pawlica Loving Soles,” which includes three generations of family members.
The Loving Soles walk in memory of Diane’s parents, Edward and Marian Luszczynski, and Diane’s Father-in-Law Leo Pawlica, Sr.
So what keeps this family coming back every year? “Walking as a family is a way of paying tribute to our parents. It has become a family tradition, to dedicate a day to remember all of those we have loved and lost,” Diane said. “By participating we are hoping that money raised will allow others to have the same opportunity to benefit from the Angela Hospice experience in their time of need.”
Diane says the experience her family had with Angela Hospice has made a lasting impression on them.
“Angela Hospice holds a special place in our hearts because of the incredible care and kindness they demonstrated in the three days our father was blessed to stay at the facility,” Diane said. “They guided us through the hospice process and treated our father with utmost respect during the last stage of his illness. Never wanting to leave him alone, they allowed us to stay at the facility and be at his bedside round the clock.”
Diane and her family were grateful that her father was able to spend his final days in the Angela Hospice Care Center.
“I truly believe God had a hand in placing our Dad at Angela Hospice,” she said. “When we went to visit the facility we were told there was a waiting list so they probably would not be able to accommodate our Dad, Edward. Two hours later we got a call that there was an opening.
“Our Dad at this stage was unresponsive. Mary, R.N., reassured us that our Father could still hear us and encouraged us to talk to him. Mary suggested that our Dad was holding on because he was still waiting to see someone. As she predicted, my Uncle came that evening and our Dad passed peacefully the next day surrounded by his family. As he drew his last breath the song by Bette Midler, ‘The Rose‘ began to play. This song has special meaning to our family because this was the song we played when our Mother passed away. This coincidence was our confirmation that our parents were once again joined together in heaven. Angela Hospice confirms our belief that there really are angels on earth.”
It is stories like this one that ignite faith and giving. It is stories like this one that make us too believe that there are angels on earth. The Angela Hospice supporters, who contribute to our mission and allow us to continue the work we do, are our angels on earth.
