Success Story

Frank's Story:

"Frank could charm the legs off a fly." So says the wife of a hospice patient Pathways served for 4-1/2 months.

Perhaps it was that charm that propelled Frank from a boyhood in rural California to the Secret Service, responsible for protecting Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson, as well as other government officials. After serving in the South Pacific during World War II, Frank became one of the first Hispanic Secret Service agents ever.

Frank raised five children with his first wife. After she died, he met and married Jean, who had never thought of marrying again in her 80s. But Frank was charming and hard to resist.

Less than a year after their wedding, Frank's prostate cancer took a turn for the worse. "He was always so optimistic," Jean says. "He was sure he had beaten the cancer." But soon a nurse recommended hospice care.

Jean thought it was a good idea. "I was in over my head," she says ruefully. "Everyone had advice to offer and I wasn't sure what to do in terms of his care. When hospice came, I got expert advice and the strength that comes from knowledge and security."

The Pathways nurse gently convinced Frank to accept help. Soon he was getting frequent visits from Pathways' nurses, home health aides, and social workers. Jean says, "We were in good hands. And, honestly, we just fell in love with everyone from Pathways."

With hospice care from Pathways and his family at his side, Frank passed away peacefully. After he died, Jean received grief counseling and visits from Pathways staff. Your support makes compassionate care possible.