At Hospice Austin, we often witness the power of human connection in its most profound form. Recently, a patient at Hospice Austin’s Christopher House shared a simple but deeply moving wish: he longed to speak with his sister, whom he had lost touch with many years ago. With no family nearby, he felt alone, but the thought of hearing his sister’s voice once more gave him hope.
Recognizing the importance of this wish, Cameron Sterling, the social worker at Hospice Austin’s Christopher House, and the rest of the patient’s care team set out to help. The patient remembered an old phone number, but it was no longer in service. Attempts to find his sister through social media led to profiles without photos that wouldn’t accept messages.
That’s when PR and Media Manager, Kiki Jones, a former investigative journalist, stepped in. Piecing together fragments from the details the patient could recall, she managed to track down a working phone number for his sister. Cameron placed a call and left a message, unsure if it would ever be returned.
When the sister returned the call that evening, her voice carried both hope and hesitation. The nurse gently explained that the patient was resting and asked if she wanted him awakened. She declined, not wanting to disturb his peace, but promised to try again the next day.
The following morning, she called back. She longed to speak with her brother, but by then his condition had changed. He was no longer fully alert, his words reduced to soft mumbling that could not form a conversation. The team was worried that the opportunity for reunion might have slipped away.
It was a heavy moment filled with both hope and sorrow: the sister reaching out across decades of silence, and the patient unable to respond in the way he yearned for. Yet the Hospice Austin team was vigilant, watching closely for any window of clarity that might still come.
The next day, that window opened. In a rare period of alertness, the patient was able to engage. Compassion and persistence carried the day. Shelly Sanders, a CNA, held the phone for him and gently translated his words when they were unclear. Thanks to her, the sister was able to hear his voice and know he was listening. And though his strength was limited, he managed to say that he had never forgotten her.
Later that weekend, when the patient was no longer able to speak, Shelly again held the phone to his ear so his sister could say “I love you” several times.
The reunion was made possible by so many people who came together. Amy LeGrand, the patient’s RN, carefully monitored the patient’s alertness and ensured the team knew when he was awake enough to connect, and Phelicia Horne, another CNA, first initiated the Facebook search that set the whole process in motion.
At Hospice Austin, we believe that care is not just about medical support but about honoring the human spirit. This story reminds us that teamwork, compassion, and persistence can create moments of grace that last a lifetime.