Read Michelle Hunt's Story
My son Corey was one in a million.
From the time he was a little boy, he made the most of each day, brightening
the lives of everyone around himwith his smile, warmth, and humor. He
had a passion and a zest for life that was just extraordinary.
Corey graduated from Thomas Johnson High School with a football scholarship to Shippensburg University. During one his games, he heard a "pop" in his right arm. The tests that followed showed that Corey had synovial sarcoma, a type of soft tissue cancer so rare that fewer than three individuals out of a million are diagnosed with it each year.
At age 20, my one in a million son had a type of cancer that was just as rare as he was. Over the next 5 years, Corey fought cancer with the same courage he had always shown on the football field. Throughout treatment, he played football while finishing his degree in geo-environmental studies. After graduation, he was offered a job doing exactly what he'd always wanted to do...but "happily-ever-after" was not to be.
His cancer returned four times. He was 24 when it returned for the last time, once again in his lungs. Becasue he was already on the strongest chemotherapy available, he decided to stop aggressive treatment. The quality of life was more important to him than the quantity. With this decision, Corey was refusing to let his circumstances rule his life. He was choosing to live out the rest of his life on his own terms- comfortably and at peace, giving and receiving love- with the people he cared about most all around him.
That's when Frederick Health Hospice came into our lives. Hospice helped Corey take control of his circumstances and turn them into something beautiful and precious. For this and so many other reasons, I'd like to ask you to join me in supporting Frederick Health Hospice.
Until Corey was ill, I never understood what a precious gift it truly is to be able to keep your loved one at home during their last days. Hospice made sure Corey had everything he needed to be as comfortable and self-sufficient as possible- an adjustable hospital bed, all his medical equipment, and an entire team of loving, caring people.
Corey's Hospice nurse, Stacey, took care of his medical needs, and spent time talking to him to understand who he was and what his needs and wants truly were. When filling prescription was difficult, Hospice stepped in. Someone was always on call,available to help us should a situation arise that were not sure how to handle. We never felt alone, and that removed a great deal of anxiety for all of us.
With his pain managed and his symptoms relieved, Corey was free to live every moment with remarkable joy and normalcy. He played video games with his siblings, spent time with his girlfriend, and enjoyed all of his pets snuggled up in bed beside him. His many friends came and went all day long. We cooked the foods he loved. There was laughter and more than a few tears.
When he wanted to attend a couple of college football games with his friends, Hospice fixed him up with a portable oxygen and away we went. The ability to have those necessary items- portable oxygen, a wheelchair, or whatever Corey needed- was priceless , and allowed him to live the way he was used to- without limitations.
After a courageous battle, Corey passed away at home surrounded by family and friends who loved him dearly. Yet when i remember Corey's last two months on earth, I don't remember watching him die. Instead, thanks to Hospice, I remember watching him live- fully and fiercely, with remarkable normalcy and self- sufficiency, until his very last day.
As we approach the holiday season, I reflect with deep gratitude on everything Hospice did for Corey and our family. I will never be able to repay them for what they did for us.
I hope you will join me in supporting Frederick Health Hospice with a year-end gift to help them continue providing care to all who need it.
