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“Joel”, fifty-seven, was diagnosed with cancer just a few months ago.  Shortly after, his doctors informed him that the cancer has already metastasized.   Joel decided at that time to stop all treatment.  Joel is single and has no children.  He has lived alone for years.  Joel’s goal now is to fly home to Minnesota to be with his family.  He is appropriately struggling with the loneliness of being in a Skilled Nursing Facility 

I hope we are able to assist he and his family to make his trip home happen in a timely manner.  He is such a perfect case of what is really important in this life.  Not what is in your life, but who. I wish you the best Joel.

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He was diagnosed with liver cancer

just about three months ago.

He chose no further treatment

as it had already spread to his brain.

 

He moved from Minnesota thirty years ago.

“I wanted to get away from the cold”.

His very large family has lived there for decades.

Now, he just wants to go home.

 

He is single with no children of his own.

I asked about his family; his support.

“I have many brothers and sisters.

I am number twenty out of twenty-three.”

 

We spoke with two of his sisters

who are coming into town next week.

They need help flying him to Minnesota

while locating a hospice there as well.

 

We spoke with him about hospice support.

We asked about ways he needed our help,

but he would easily get distracted and say,

                  “I just want to go home.”

 

He started to cry

when we were about to leave.

“It is so lonely here.

                        Just being by myself”.

 

I hope we can help arrange his journey;

to give him the best gift of all;

being surrounded by his family.

                    Being home.