The Gifts of Hospice

The Ginger Murchison Foundation enables VNA to provide patients experiencing financial hardship with gifts such as bed and bath linens, toiletry items and even holiday gifts for patients' families with children at home.

VNA has a long tradition serving our most vulnerable neighbors in North Texas through our Meals on Wheels and Hospice Programs. The goal of VNA Hospice Care is to ensure quality care and compassionate support for medically appropriate patients and their families regardless of access to insurance or ability to pay.

Hospice is a word many know but few truly understand. For our staff who work with patients facing terminal illness and their families, there is only one way to explain hospice: it's a gift. As the oldest hospice agency in the state of Texas, VNA has many stories of this "gift" and how special it can be. Our holistic approach to care goes beyond clinical needs. Through the generosity of the Ginger Murchison Foundation, a Hospice Patient Fund was established in 2005 to help VNA hospice patients with non-medical necessities. For those experiencing financial hardship, we provide items such as bed and bath linens, basic toiletry items, assistance with paying utility bills, and during the holidays, purchase gifts for families with children at home.

With the help of VNA social workers, Hospice volunteers and the generosity of donors, we were able to brighten the spirits of patients and families in need. Over the holidays we had the joy of caring for a father (age 31) with a terminal diagnosis and providing support to his wife and three young boys ages 8, 10 and 12. We brought some holiday joy to a couple of teenage boys who lost their beloved grandfather—their primary caregiver—just two months ago. I could go on with many more wonderful stories of our courageous patients and their families.

We are blessed to have the Murchison Foundation and other donors contribute for this worthy cause to ensure we bring joy to patients and their families at such a difficult time. Thank you for your generosity during the holidays and all year round.

To learn how you can help ensure the gift of hospice endures in North Texas for this and future years, contact Chris Culak at (214) 689-2601 or culakc@vnatexas.org.