The day Coby first arrived at Oak Ridges Hospice, her stepdaughter, Myra, immediately knew this was where she belonged. The quiet, private room. The warmth of the staff. The space for family to gather. It was everything they could have asked for in Coby’s final weeks.
Coby had cancer, and for a while before coming to hospice, she was doing well on her own. Then she started to go downhill quickly. In the hospital, doctors recommended palliative care. At the time her family didn’t know much about what hospice care really was. But the moment they saw Coby in her room at Oak Ridges; they knew they’d made the right decision.
“Being at Oak Ridges made her final weeks a completely different experience than it would’ve been at the hospital,” says Myra. “We were welcomed with such open arms and she was given such great care. We were given such great care as well.”
The care team didn’t just meet Coby’s physical needs; they went above and beyond to help her feel at home. They brought in a special mattress, and created personalized medications to help ease the discomfort from her bedsores. And they made sure her favourite, funky nightgowns were always washed and ready, so she could feel like herself.
“When I went to visit, it was wonderful to always see a smile on Coby’s face,” Myra says. “She was really happy and talked a lot about what great care she was getting.”
The care didn’t end with Coby. Volunteers checked in on her visiting family members each day, offering meals and encouragement so they could focus on being present.
One memory that stands out for Myra came the day before Coby passed. Coby had always loved her wine, so they asked the doctor if she could have some. The answer was yes. That afternoon, Coby was wheeled outside. The sun was shining. She slipped on Myra’s sunglasses. Surrounded by family, they shared a glass together, and Coby said, “This is the best.” It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful way to spend that final day together. When we spoke with Myra recently, she reflected on how her time at Oak Ridges changed her life:
“After Coby passed, I started volunteering here every week. It’s one of the highlights of my week — to give back to the place that gave us so much.”
– Myra Hay
