Be a Holiday Hero

Ann Nelson is not who you might expect a typical 89-year-old hospice patient to be. In fact, she is not your typical 89-year-old. For context, Ann completed her most recent 5K in June and does 40 crunches each morning as part of her workout regimen. She is vibrant and full of life. She is celebrating life every day. And, she has terminal cancer.

“I started [in the summer of 2023 with Kansas City Hospice],” Ann recalls, “then canceled it so I could try a different cancer treatment. The aftereffects were so dreadful that when I had the choice of whether to continue chemo, I said no. I said I just can’t do that anymore. I couldn’t go through that again. I don’t want to spend the rest of my days this sick," Ann explains.

Ann restarted her services with Kansas City Hospice in September 2023. When she started on service the second time, she knew she was doing the right thing for her. “The life I am living now is one of gratitude for family, friends and excellent medical care,” Ann shared. “I am still able to see movies, go to concerts and book clubs."

Ann’s Kansas City Hospice care team consists of her social worker, Crispian, her nurse, Amanda, and her chaplain, Dave. Ann first met Crispian when Kansas City Hospice cared for her husband, Stan, who received hospice care nearly 11 years ago. Crispian remembers when she first met Ann. “Stan was among my first patients when I started at KCH. He and Ann were so lovely that they made a lasting impression on me.

All these years later when I saw that Ann would become one of our patients, I recognized her name and address instantly and felt bittersweet about it. ‘Bitter’ because I was sorry Ann needed our services, but ‘sweet’ because I was excited and honored to be able to meet and care for Ann again.”

Ann is just as fond of her whole care team. “All the hospice folks who come, we are now good friends. They’re very helpful, very friendly. With what’s ahead, they’ll know what to do and I’ll know them. I wonder what is going on, and how this will end, but I’m very lucky to have them. I’ve got somebody to call and discuss [my illness] with. It [gives me] peace of mind to have experts to check in with.”

We are often asked at Kansas City Hospice why we need donations. While hospice is a defined benefit under Medicare guidelines, many individuals served by KCH do not qualify for Medicare, some private insurers do not cover hospice or palliative care, and some individuals do not have coverage at all. Generous donor support provides access to care for the most high-risk community members – including children and teens with life-limiting medical conditions - as well as adults of all ages. Your gifts ensure the healthcare needs of everyone, including underserved and marginalized communities, are met with high-quality, effective, inclusive and accessible services. Your generous support also allows the KCH team to go above and beyond what can be reimbursed, allowing us to provide support which results in better outcomes for patients and families such as pet therapy, music or art therapy, and even grief support and camps for children as young as four!

We can only do this work because of our wonderful donors. Thank you for your generosity.