A Family's Perspective - Nancy Hanna

“Being able to donate and give back to Unity means so much to me….Because it’s the last place mom was a part of. I feel very honored to help Unity, the organization that helped mom at the end and make her at peace.”

Gary, Nancy’s Husband

“My wife, Nancy, was a patient of Unity Hospice from November through February. Right after moving here from Michigan, Nancy had scheduled an operation. We thought they were going to find a benign mass, but it was not. A two hour operation became eight. She then had chemo. Her nurse practitioner said the best thing would be to get Nancy onto hospice. She said hospice could react faster and give more personalized attention. We were surprised as we thought of a hospice as a place you go during your last couple of days and that’s it.”

“Before Christmas, Unity Social Worker Hailie, came and said, ‘I have something for you.’ She brought in a big bag and box full of toys for our grandson, Hayden. Just unbelievable; these were all donated. There was a Unity benefactor who wanted to take care of the kids. We were so fortunate. It was tremendous, just tremendous,” Gary said tearfully.

“Hailie also said Unity could provide respite stays so we took advantage of that. In mid-February, Nancy went to Unity’s Jack and Engrid Meng Hospice Residence for four days. This gave me a break from being her caregiver and I think it gave her a break from me! The people, the services, the speed…everything was great.”

Kelly, Nancy’s daughter

“I definitely had quality time with my mom. It actually turned from a couple of weeks to four months! It was very helpful to have that time and Unity made us a family again.

My fiancé and I were in the midst of planning our wedding. Mom was even able to go with me to get my dress. Because we are older and established, we didn’t need gifts. A lot of our family and friends knew Unity because of mom, so they donated to Unity for our wedding. This meant a lot because we wanted to help another family just like we were helped.

Facebook does fundraisers for nonprofits so for my birthday in June, I asked family and friends to pitch in again. Being able to donate and give back to Unity means so much to me….Because it’s the last place mom was a part of. I feel very honored to help Unity, the organization that helped mom at the end and make her at peace.”