We are born, we live, and then ultimately, we die. Cindy Lee, age 56, knows this all too well. She is the owner and founder of Heart 'n Home Hospice & Palliative Care LLC whose mission statement is to, “optimize the quality of life for individuals in the final stages of terminal illness.” Hospice care is designed to give terminally ill patients in their final stages quality of life. Hospice does not try to find a cure, but rather to make the final days of the patients’ life painless, and in the place of their choosing. This is done typically in-home.
Cindy was born, and raised in Middleton, Idaho where she attended and graduated high school. Then, she attended college at Treasure …show more content…
I’ve seen her spend many sleepless nights hoping it will all work out for the family,” says her husband Galen. The pressure that she felt to succeed was enormous. If she failed, then her family would continue to live in poverty. Her son’s and their families would have no jobs, and no way to support their families. When I asked her what her motivation to succeed was she stated that it was, “Kris and Todd, my sons. They had confidence in me to make it work. Also the livelihoods of my grandkids. If the business failed, then my family would be struggling. That is a lot of pressure, but we made it work.”
Cindy received her nursing degree from a two-year university, TVCC. She firmly believes that the quicker the education the better. She stated that, “When you have to get a degree in two years rather that four there is a lot more hands-on work rather than book work.” “There is nothing that can quite prepare you for a disaster quite like hands-on experience, and guidance from on high,” she …show more content…
She stated that, “oh God has everything to do with my success! Even to be alive and breathing the air I breathe is all because of Him. There isn’t one thing that He doesn’t have a part of in my life.”
Dealing with the death of a beloved patient is not easy, but it has to be worth it. There are so many nurses throughout the world who are dedicated and devoted to their job, and their patients. Cindy is one of them. Her love for the elderly is sparked by, “wisdom, and they always have sweet, soft cheeks and good stories.” Spending time with them is the best part, but losing them is the hardest. “What keeps me going is the next patient that is going to be close to my heart. There is always going to be someone who needs me. You have to help their family grieve, and then move on.”
Cindy has worked in hospice for thirty-four years and has loved every patient that has come her way. “It isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it,” says Cindy’s co-worker Linda. “I, myself received a two-year education like Cindy, and placed higher on my field tests than others who attended larger and “better” universities. I would encourage all to pursue a get-down-to-the-nitty-gritty education rather than one with a lot of