February 6, 2019

A Story from Our Hospice Houses: George Adams

George Adams, 84, hadn’t seen his 94-year-old sister Wilene in nearly two years. Despite this, the siblings have maintained a close relationship, chatting on the phone from their respective homes in Iowa and Nebraska.

Still, there’s nothing quite like seeing your sister in person. And that’s just what George, a veteran and patient at EveryStep’s Greater Regional Hospice Home in Creston, was able to do recently.

“There was a time they saw each other every year over Memorial Day weekend,” Cindy Norman, George’s niece, recalls. “But it’s been difficult with both of their health. We were struggling to get them together.” 

The recent visit came together after George’s EveryStep Hospice team learned his family was having a difficult time arranging for Wilene to visit.

“We were either having a snow storm here, or they were having one there,” Cindy recalls. “In the past, he has always helped find a way to get her here; she would work on getting someone to bring her and he’d help her financially.”

The EveryStep Foundation stepped in, offering a gas card and a hotel stay for Wilene, her daughter and son-in-law.

And so, for two days, George and Wilene reminisced about fried chicken, cherry pie, and their lives. 

George, who grew up in Osceola and lived in several states before settling in Fort Madison, remembered Wilene’s homemade candy. Once, when his wife was still alive, George had asked his sister for extra candy, but Dorothy asked Wilene to stop sending the candy, as he was “a little plump.” 

“They had a really nice visit,” Cindy said. “She was just tickled and very, very happy she was able to see him. She was really worried she wasn’t going to see him.”

George didn’t want to miss a moment with his sister, skipping his normal naps in exchange for more conversation.

“He was exhausted after the visit,” Cindy said. “It was very heartwarming. It was one of those moments that makes you feel good, because I know he won’t be here much longer. Knowing that he got to see her again made my heart warm and made me happy for both of them.”

EveryStep strives to provide clients and their families with compassionate care. One way EveryStep does this is through a Quality of Life program that assists clients and their families, whether that be paying for utilities because finances are tight or fulfilling end-of-life wishes, creating lasting memories for patients and their families. 

You, too, can contribute to EveryStep’s Quality of Life program by supporting the EveryStep Foundation. For more information on the EveryStep Foundation and donation options, click here.