Two Locals’ Perspective on the Importance of Hospice Care
What does it mean to be in hospice care? Why is it so important? If you’ve ever wondered about these questions but found yourself lost for answers, please read the true story of Trudene and Bill Norman below.
These two beautiful people shared their hearts with Coast Hospice to increase the public knowledge of hospice work and the importance of kindness, dignity and peace at the end of life.
Please read the heartfelt story below to understand their desire for a residential hospice on the lower Sunshine Coast.
“Get me out of here.”
That’s the last favour Trudene Norman’s father asked of her. He was in a hospital bed, with rapidly declining health, and he found no comfort in a clinical setting surrounded by beeping noises and the hustle and bustle of hospital activity.
“He was a man of few words,” says Trudene. “I was determined to find a way to make his final days stress-free and help him die with dignity.”
These tender memories remain vivid for Trudene and her husband Bill, as does the peace they experienced when her father was admitted into a lower mainland hospice. “He was there for his last 10 days. He was finally comfortable, and we could just be with him as a family. Visiting him became easier as there were no restrictions on hours, and our time by his side wasn’t interrupted; it was simply all about being with him.”
Bill Longman and Trudene Norman, at their home in Langdale.
When asked what he sees in the future of Coast Hospice, Bill considers the experience with Trudene’s father and the Society’s community work and responds without hesitation: “More of the same!” Both he and Trudene support the eventual development of a dedicated residential hospice on the Coast as they intimately know the lasting benefits of having a loved one die in a compassionate setting.
"It breaks my heart that so many people are unable to leave this world with the grace and dignity hospice care provided my family," adds Trudene.
Bill and Trudene are long-time generous supporters of Coast Hospice fundraising campaigns, including Lights of Life and Hike for Hospice. Additionally, a percentage of their endowment with the SC Community Foundation is directed to the Society.
“We are proud to support the work of Coast Hospice, and we appreciate the importance of having hospice services and programs right here, in the community we call home. Making sure compassionate help is available to friends and neighbours in need contributes to making the Coast a very special place to live. We encourage everyone to donate and to also remember Coast Hospice in their will.”