The Gazette is highlighting the experiences of individuals and families who have received care services from Hospice Prince Edward as part of its annual appeals campaign. Our residential hospice offers quality of life, dignity in death, and grief and bereavement support at no cost. While the organization receives some funding through Ontario’s Home and Community Care Support Services, 74 per cent of its annual $750,000 operations budget comes through donations and depends on giving from all those who want to ensure that Hospice services are available locally for years to come.

My name is Melissa Baitley, daughter of the late John Baitley, who passed away after 143 days in Hospice Prince Edward.

My father was a very healthy man. He farmed in Prince Edward County his entire life, operating the largest beef operation in Eastern Ontario, when suddenly he was struck by severe headaches. Days later, he was diagnosed with terminal glioblastoma brain cancer.

After surgery and days spent in hospital, we decided HPE would provide my father with the best care possible. This is where my family — mother Kathy, brother Curtis with his wife Cassandra, and our children would spend every moment we could with our dear father.

Hospice became home for all of us. We shared many meals, tears (a lot of tears), conversations and special time with Dad’s closest friends. Life-long friendships were formed with the staff, who are now and will forever be family.

Patients at hospice are not just another number — that is what we experienced so many times at the hospital. They took the time to ensure Dad was always comfortable and that his candy dish was always full. They always took the time to answer our questions and offered a shoulder to cry on when life was too overwhelming. This was a place where there is no judgement, just comfort and reassurance. HPE will forever be in our hearts. We will continue to support them in any way possible and encourage the community to do the same. We never in a million years thought we would need a place like this — but in a split second our world changed forever. Without HPE my father would not have been able to pass peacefully to greener pastures and my family would not have had the support we desperately needed.

Thanks to readers such as yourself, HPE has reached half of it’s $60,000 annual appeal goal and hopes to meet its overall mark by Dec. 20.

Readers can donate online at www.hospicepe.com,  e- transfer at [email protected] or mail or come into Hospice at 40 Downes Avenue, Picton, Ontario K0K 2T0.