By Maddie Monroe
For 20 years, the Leila & Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence has provided end-of-life care for patients in our community. But just like any home, the Poppen has aged, and so has its equipment. We are now seeking support to provide essential upgrades, enabling us to continue offering the best end-of-life care to anyone in our area who needs it.
Grief support takes a village, but what happens when that village crumbles? Maury Fredricks experienced it first-hand three years ago, after his mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
“It was sort of a wakeup call,” Maury said. “She was the foundation of our family.” At first, the family thought the cancer was under control with rounds of chemo and radiation and felt confident about continuing her treatment.
“Then in February, my middle brother Bruce died, suddenly and shockingly,” Maury said.
After his brother’s death, he says his mom lost her spark, leaving the family uncertain about how to proceed.
“She lost her will to live, but she tried her best to remain positive until the [second] diagnosis came back,” Maury said.
Maury, along with his wife and four siblings, huddled together in a room at Trinity Health Hospital to hear the latest on their mother’s condition.
“It wasn’t good. The cancer had come back and spread throughout her body,” Maury said. “Our whole world had been shaken.”
The family was presented with two options. The first was to take their mom home or admit her to the Leila & Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence.
“My mom, after hearing the update, very quickly said, ‘I want to go to the Poppen,’” Maury said.
From the moment she arrived, they knew she made the right call.
“Her final days were made so much richer and comforting through the care that staff and volunteers gave her,” Maury said.
While his mother was being cared for, Maury said he struggled to reach out for help. But after experiencing the support they had with his mom at the Poppen, he knew Harbor Hospice was an organization he could rely on.
“It was a whole series of things to work through and navigate when we were trying to be with her and grieve, knowing she was dying,” Maury said. “Harbor Hospice just made it so much easier, and a lot of the friction was taken out.”
Maury is just one example of a family that depended on the care at the Poppen. In the past 20 years, Harbor Hospice has cared for more than 5,500 patients at the Poppen. We are committed to providing the best residential hospice care for every family in our region who needs it.
To do this, we need your continued support. Earlier this year, we launched a campaign to raise $1 million to provide essential upgrades for the Poppen Residence. This includes things such as the purchase of a new spa tub and adjustable beds to meet the specialized needs of our patients. It also includes an oxygen monitoring system, updated air conditioning, a new roof, and refreshing the grounds.
Currently, every donation made to our campaign for the Poppen residence will be matched, thanks to a generous $500,000 donation. So, every dollar you give will be doubled.
Please consider donating to the Poppen, so that families like Maury’s will always have the Poppen residence when it’s the best fit for their loved one’s end-of-life care. To make a donation, you can click this link www.harborhospicemi.org/poppen-hospice-residence-sustainability-initiative or click the drop down menu under “donors” to learn more.
Thank you.