Someone once said that home is where the heart is. I learned about this first hand while conducting my routine interview with Mrs. R, a soon-to-be-admitted patient on the Broward program.

I learned that Mrs. R’s only daughter, Cindy, was in severe financial difficulty. Cindy and their pet poodle named Jeremiah (who was suffering from cancer) had been evicted from their home and were living in the family car. They had no family or friends to offer them shelter. Adding to their misfortune, the landlord would not allow Cindy into the apartment to collect her belongings.

I quickly adapted my explanation of VITAS services to include a workable solution to this problem…

Knowing that family members are allowed to stay overnight with patients at our inpatient units, and knowing that pets also are allowed to visit, I called Florida Medical Center (FMC) and explained the situation to Don Dolon, the unit’s Team Manager. Without a second thought, Don arranged to have Mrs. R, Cindy and Jeremiah stay in a comfortable, cozy room. He made it known that our home would now be their home.

Four days later, Mrs. R died in the VITAS unit, her temporary home, with her daughter and dog at her side. Patty Davis, the team social worker, assisted Cindy in accessing her apartment and gathering her possessions. And, after some searching, Patty found a new permanent home for Cindy and Jeremiah to settle in … and rest their weary hearts.

Don and Patty also took Jeremiah to a veterinarian to get medical care for his illness.

Moments like these make me proud to be part of such a wonderful organization. Thanks to all the FMC staff for living the VITAS Values...patients and families do come first!