The choice of hospice.

Two years ago this blog was involved in a struggle against elective induction for a child with holoprosencephaly. (See February 2005 archives.) Since then that particular disability but also the use of perinatal hospice and hospice in general have become special interests of mine.

This article is about a family that lost their little boy ten years ago to holoprosencephaly and how hospice care helped them. Here are some excerpts.

“Can I hold him?” the grandmother asked.
She gently picked up her two-year-old grandson.
He died in her arms.
He was surrounded by his mother, father, sisters, grandparents, aunts, and uncles.
Hospice had prepared them for this moment.

“David changed our lives forever for the better,” Kathy said.
“Our children are more empathetic. They never point out anyone with disabilities.”

“And they are not afraid of death or being around someone who is dying,” Michael added.

See the whole article linked above.