Sister Mary Ann Walsh: “Hospice and palliative care programs rely on family and volunteers for the team that provides medical, emotional, intellectual, psychological, social and spiritual care. They work to enable a meaningful life right now. They believe that life has meaning whether you’re on the job, in your lounge chair, or nodding off in bed.

It is no secret that people who are seriously and/or chronically ill can become depressed and feel they want to die. The answer is not “Here, let me help you.” It is to express compassion, to send the message that they’re not alone and that others walk with them.”