Heartland Hospice Brings Peace to Vietnam Veteran

Heartland Hospice Serving Northern Virginia had the honor of caring for Arthur, a 66-year-old Vietnam Veteran. His daughter, Heather, wrote a letter after his passing that illustrates how Heartland looks at each patient as a unique individual. Death is not the same for everyone, and through the “We Honor Veterans” initiative, Heartland was able to customize this patient’s care in a very special way. Here are some excerpts from Heather’s letter:

“Six months ago, Andrea walked through my door and my life was forever changed. I was so frightened to know that hospice would now be taking care of my dad. Hospice, to me, meant the end. Little did I know that it was really the beginning of an incredible journey...

“Andrea is really a doctor in nurse’s clothing. She managed my dad’s health like no other nurse I had ever seen. She took such a load off my shoulders and gave me the opportunity to be my dad’s daughter again and not just his caregiver.

“Stephanie came in three times a week humming little tunes and sharing stories with my dad. She is such a gem and truly a gift from God to be able to do what she does.

“Kathy would come in laughing and joking with Dad and he always enjoyed chatting with her on a personal level. He would often give her advice and it made Dad feel so important to just know that someone valued his opinion.

“Daryl, Scott and Dave took my dad places I could have never taken him. Dad had so much to come to terms with and thanks to these three wonderful men, he was able to make peace with something horrific that had happened in Vietnam. My whole life I saw him have flashbacks of the war and he encountered many sleepless nights. In his final days, he came to terms with what happened and forgave himself. Finally, a peace came over him.

“As his daughter, there is no possible way for me to express my gratitude for what you did for my daddy. When he passed, he was at peace...”