My pawpaw, Archie, raised me my entire life. He was in the Air Force and stationed in Korea. He didn't have to, but he took me in as his own. And when I was 11, they got legal guardianship of me. My Dad was still in my life because he was raising my little brother, so I saw him often. but he just didn't raise me. Sometime around 2010, my Pawpaw was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). He went through treatment and chemo which caused him to go into remission. The chemo really burned his vocal cords and caused him to barely whisper when he talked, so he had surgery to be able to talk a little easier and louder. Then in August of 2016, I got the dreaded call that his cancer had come back, and because of his age and the state he was in from battling the previous time, they said that trying chemo would kill him quickly. He wasn't strong enough, so they put him in hospice and made him as comfortable as possible. I was told that he would have three to six months to live. So, while working full time and taking care of my family, I would drive an hour one way after work three to four times a week to go visit with him. At the time, my husband worked close to where his hospice was, and before heading home, he would go see him as well, especially if it was a day that I couldn't make it out there. I found out on Thanksgiving 2016 that he had passed away. I lost a part of myself that night and then had several hard years afterward. I am now ready to help other caregivers, patients, and their families get through this difficult time. I feel in a way it pays tribute to my Pawpaw's amazing life.
Marlana
Volunteer
