Editor:
Sharon Farrish, Jim Levin, Chris Pettypiece and Take Back Delta Hospice supporters worked tirelessly to restore hospice services that respect every client’s choice. I am so grateful for their dedication and determination.
I know firsthand how much our community valued hospice services. As Delta Hospice Society’s coordinator of volunteers for 19 years, I trained hundreds of wonderful volunteers who provided compassionate support to thousands of clients and family members.
I also know how important it is that those services be offered by an organization that respects the rights of all individuals and follows the laws of the land.
Delta Hospice Society lost the trust of the community because it failed to do these things. DHS supports only one segment of Delta residents – those who oppose MAiD. DHS leadership refused to acknowledge overwhelming evidence that the majority of Deltans support choice at end of life. With their entrenched position, DHS started and lost a series of costly legal actions that ended in the loss of a community treasure.
While I feel deep sadness at the demise of the Delta Hospice Society, the board and leadership brought it on themselves and have only themselves to blame.
May Heron Hospice of Delta grow and prosper, supported by all of us who know that quality end-of-life care and bereavement support must be truly inclusive.
Chris Colero
