North Hawaii Hospice

November 6 | Saturday 9 am – 11 a.m. Hawaii Time (12-2 p.m. PDT, 1-3 p.m. MDT, 2-4 p.m. CDT, 3-5 p.m. EDT)

Facilitated by Vicki Farley, DMIN, and Mary Kay Whitacre, DMIN

Cost: free

The memories, traditions, and celebrations of the holiday season can be a bittersweet reminder of the love you had and lost. It can be hard to face the merriment around you while your heart is breaking. A new normal has been thrust on you that can be hard to navigate. This session will be an opportunity to share your grief and plan for a meaningful holiday season with others who understand and in a way that is comfortable to you.

Please register by November 3rd at vicki.farley@northhawaiihospice.org.  Please include the email address which you would like us to use when sending you the Zoom link. We look forward to seeing you online.

Vicki Farley is a board-certified chaplain (2002) through the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. She’s worked 6 years in acute care and 14 years in hospice and palliative care. She currently is working as a hospice chaplain for North Hawaii Hospice. She holds a Masters in Pastoral Ministry from Seattle University and one in Clinical Leadership: End-of-Life Care from George Washington University. She earned her Doctor of Ministry from Seattle University. She’s co-led several Journey through Grief sessions and grief support groups as well as presenting on the topic of end-of-life and living with grief.

Mary Kay Whitacre is a 2005 graduate of Souljourners and has been on the Souljourners staff since 2005.  She has worked in pastoral ministry in the Catholic Church for more than 40 years. She has a master’s degree from Seattle University and has recently received her Doctor of Ministry from Seattle University.  Mary Kay is Associate Director of Souljourners and does spiritual direction, supervision, and a variety of retreats.

It’s About How You Live

We wanted to share a sweet story of one of our Hospice patients who “graduated” out of Hospice care (meaning he is now doing very well and living life in the best way he knows how).

While in Hospice, Mike shared that his day-to-day life was a bit monotonous. His end-of-life doula asked him, “given your current health condition, what would you do if you could to bring more joy into your life?” He said he wanted to play golf. He used to play quite often when his health was better and loved the game. After a few phone calls, Mike and his caregiver found themselves on the Kamehameha Golf Course.

Mike had given so many of his possessions away when he first came on to care with North Hawaii Hospice as he thought he was going to die soon. Over time, like so many people who come onto Hospice care, he started feeling much better. He had the Hospice staff to care for him, a patient volunteer, and an end-of-life doula.

It was a beautiful clear North Kohala day. Mike played better than he thought he would and sustained his energy through the 9-hole course. Mike had a portable oxygen concentrator that allowed him to move around with some ease.

The experience on the course gave Mike confidence in his abilities (he hadn’t played for two years), and now he wants to play again, perhaps at a different course (maybe an 18- hole course?). We are grateful to the entire Hospice team for creating these beautiful moments for our patients.