Our Stories
Stories of hospice: Norman Rife
Born and raised In Tillamook, Norman returned to live with his daughter Norma as he neared the end of his life’s adventures. He had served in the Pacific during WWII as a Navy signalman on the USS Wichita. Retired from a power company career, conversations with him were like a living history book. He enjoyed competitive pistol shooting and ballroom dancing. Norma remembers her dad and mom as being poetry in motion on the dance floor.
Norma shares that her father taught her to fish and didn’t get mad when she caught his ear instead of a fish. He was understanding when her car got stuck in a sink hole while she was driving on the beach and they had to abandon it to the incoming tide even though the two of them worked hard together to dig it out. He was always there for her.
Hospice care allowed Norma and her father to enjoy their last days together with dignity and compassion, at home, surrounded by loved ones and warm memories. Just as her father had always been there for her, Norma and the Hospice nurses, social workers, and aides were able to be there for him.
In a tribute to the hospice care team, Norma wrote: “Thank you for the wonderful, kind, thoughtful care you gave my father, and for all the support you gave to us – his family. You are angels everyone.”
Donations to Hospice help ensure that hospice care remains available to anyone in our community regardless of their ability to pay.
Lifesaving power of gratitude
There are times when a prompt infusion of plasma can help save a patient’s life. A previous patient was so thankful for the emergency services they received and wanted to do something special to express their gratitude to the departments who cared for them.
This generous community member recalled the need for a new plasma warmer that was mentioned and stepped in to help. Their gift was able to purchase a new plasma warmer AND freezer! These two new pieces of equipment speed up the process of infusions for patients in our emergency room and throughout the medical center.
“…This gift will have a positive impact on MANY patient outcomes during its lifetime. Our entire community is blessed by this gift, not just those that choose Adventist Health as their place of primary care.”
– Jonetta Blum, Lab Manager
The lab always keeps about 28 units of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) in the freezer. When a patient needs a transfusion, the units are thawed in the plasma warmer. This new warmer can thaw more units of FFP at a faster rate than the previous warmer. This is critical to improving a patient's health outcomes in emergency situations, when every minute counts.
Jonetta, John and the rest of our Lab, Surgery, and Emergency Department teams say a big THANK YOU to the donor who has improved the life-saving capacity of our hospital.
Wellspring: A Special Family That Cares
Click here to watch a video about Wellspring.
The Wellspring Respite Day Center group becomes like a family. Guests as well as volunteers look forward to sharing time and notice if someone is missing. There is excitement when the missing one returns. It is a joy to hear a guest with limited verbal capabilities join in the group singing or watch another one with limited motor capacities play the piano during music time. These dear ones grin with delight to be able to participate. And their families are amazed when told of these accomplishments.
Carolyn Betlinski, Wellspring Nurse, shared, “One guest related that at Wellspring she feels loved and accepted. It is the one day of the week she does not feel like a burden to her family. When she is not able to come, she knows that we are praying for her and that we miss her. That really makes her feel special.”
For more information or questions about any of these giving opportunities, please call the medical center's foundation office at (503) 251-6197 or email us.