To See My Granddaughter Again

a patient with his granddaughter

Mr. Beagle with his beautiful granddaughter. He reunited with her after telling his hospice chaplain that seeing her again was the most important thing to him.

We see it again and again, without fail. Often, bucket-list wishes are about people and relationships. We saw it again recently when a grandfather in our care expressed his deepest desire.

Sally, Mr. Beagle’s Hospice Care Plus chaplain, asked him what was most important to him during one of her visits. (We ask this of all our patients, regularly).  He said breathing was most important, because difficulty breathing is his biggest challenge. But his wife urged him to think more carefully about his answer.

“Now, now,” she said. “There’s something much more important to you than that.”

granddaughter and pt 3

She clearly thinks the world of him, too.

He paused for a few seconds, until tears filled his eyes. Then, he told our chaplain that there is someone special he really needs to see.

His three-year-old granddaughter lives 4 hours away. He and his wife raised her until she was 14 months old. He hadn’t seen her since. He adores her and, in that moment that he told Sally about her, it was clear that being with her is definitely what’s most important to him right now.

Thankfully, his team–Sally, his nurse Paige, and his social worker, Jackie–are committed to honoring these bucket-list wishes for patients and families. They went to work–contacting family members, asking questions–and discovered that the granddaughter and her parents very much wanted to visit, but money was tight and they weren’t sure how to pay for the fuel to get there and back.

So, we dug into our special fund for bucket-list wishes and found enough to provide a $50 gift card to fund the trip.

It was worth every penny, and then some. Just look at these pictures. Not only is it clear that he is at peace now that he’s with her again, but also that this child adores her grandfather. What an incredible moment to have captured, so that, in the years to come, she will have something to remember the special trip she took to see the grandfather who couldnt’ rest until he saw her again.

Wishes like these are made possible exclusively through donations from people like you.

Help us celebrate National Hospice and Palliative Care Day by donating or volunteering with Hospice Care Plus at #WeHonorLife.

Posted in

Leave a Comment





Hospice Care Plus empowers those we serve to enjoy the highest quality of life, respecting their values, beliefs, needs, and goals through specialized care, education, resources, and grief support.

Our Service Area:

Our Home Hospice and Home Palliative Care programs serve you, wherever you call home, in the Kentucky counties of Estill, Jackson, Lee, Madison, Owsley, and Rockcastle.

Our inpatient care facility, the Compassionate Care Center, and administrative offices are located in Richmond, Kentucky.

Recent News:

Rockin’ Derby Eve Benefit Friday May 2

Reservations are now open for the Derby Eve Benefit Party: Rockin' Derby Eve! This adult only event is the longest...

Gift A Day Of Care in 2025

Every Day Is a Gift at Hospice Care Plus. We have spent 43 years fulfilling our mission of providing compassionate...

Journaling Through Grief Series Hosted in Irvine

Hospice Care Plus is offering a new grief support series called Journaling Through Grief, starting Aug. 7 and ending Oct....

Give a Heart for Hospice in February

Hearts for Hospice displayed at Community Trust Bank in 2024 During the month of February, several local banks and businesses...

News & Events

Poinsettia Sale Web Image (2)

Poinsettia Sale!

Order beautiful poinsettias today and have them in plenty of time for the holidays with the Poinsettia Benefit Sale! Order now through November 30. Pay by card by phone or with cash, check, or card in person at our locations (see below). Pick Up the week of December 4 at one of these locations: Berea: Hospice…

Copy of Evening of Music Flyers

Nov. 10 Evening of Music

An Evening of Music is coming to Beattyville on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m. at Beattyville Christian Church. Organizer Lynda Congleton, who leads the group that plans the Evening of Music, says over a dozen live performances are planned, including a veterans’ tribute. Each year, the Evening of Music is celebrated for its impressive…

"A Decade of Compassion" is October 13.  Reserve your tickets or choose a sponsorship level by contacting us today!

Celebrating the Center’s 10th Year

2018 marks the 10th anniversary of the Hospice Care Plus Compassionate Care Center, and we’re celebrating with a special event in October. “A Decade of Compassion: Celebrating 10 Years of the Compassion Care Center” will take place Saturday, October 13, on the Center’s grounds in Richmond. It begins at 5: 30 p.m., and the public…

Howard Thompson volunteers once or twice a month to help maintain the grounds at Hospice Care Plus. Hospice is training a new group of volunteers on Sept. 29, and especially encourages men and veterans to attend.

Hospice Seeks Men, Vets to Volunteer

A new hospice volunteer training is coming up September 29, and Hospice Care Plus is especially encouraging men and veterans to attend. The training is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Compassionate Care Center in Richmond. Pre-registration is required. To register, contact Stefanie Manes, volunteer coordinator, at 859-626-9292 or hospice@hospicecp.org.…