Page Header

Information for Patients & Visitors

David Thompson (right) with his brother, Joe

Thompson’s Heart was full when His Life was Complete

     David Thompson was a man few people noticed, despite his talent for construction and willingness to sit and have meaningful conversation. The Marshall native died in January of 2019 after a battle with lung, brain, bone and lymphatic cancers. But while he was not noticed by many, there were important individuals that came alongside him in the most difficult and sacred months of his life to provide compassionate care. The team of Fitzgibbon Mary Montgomery Hospice began the “end-of-life” journey with the Thompson family in October of 2018.

     “I was with David when he received the diagnosis. David was expecting it and when I called Joe, I don’t think any of us were surprised,” said Susie Thompson, David Thompson’s sister-in-law and wife to Joe Thompson, David’s brother and primary caregiver. “We thought he would die in weeks, but it turned into months which allowed us to have more time with him. Truthfully, the time was beautiful for him to connect with people like the staff at Fitzgibbon Mary Montgomery Hospice and the friendships he made with these people.”

     David had been very specific in the pain and symptoms he was experiencing prior to going to the hospital.  While no one is fully prepared to hear such a difficult diagnosis, it did at least mean the family was not caught off guard. The staff at Fitzgibbon Mary Montgomery Hospice worked with Joe Thompson, David’s brother, and the rest of the Thompson family to make sure the final months of David’s life would be as positive as it could be. Nurses and aides provided medical care, while the hospice’s social worker and chaplain also made regular visits. As a result of this personalized care, the staff and patient became friends.

     “David’s family was very engaged in his care and that really speaks well to who they are,” said Angie Pogue, RN/Manager of Community Services which includes Fitzgibbon Home Health and Fitzgibbon Mary Montgomery Hospice. “Joe was with him a lot and when he needed some relief, additional siblings would switch in. They understood how to get a hold of us and they contacted us for anything they deemed they couldn’t handle. We were there, even when the winter storm kept most people inside.”

     As a “take charge” kind of guy, Joe wanted to be very actively involved in his brother’s care. He was very close to David. He was also very appreciative of the support he received from Fitzgibbon Mary Montgomery Hospice.

     “I could not have been more thankful and appreciative of the hospice staff for the compassion, love, caring and the time given to David. David looked forward to every visit with the staff,” said Joe Thompson. “It helped alleviate a lot of stress to have these kind, wonderful people to support me in providing care for David. I am just incredibly appreciative, and I don’t have enough words.”

     While end-of-life work certainly takes a toll on loved ones and caregivers alike, Pogue states that it is an honor to walk with families through the process of dying.

     “People ask me, “How can you do this all the time?” My answer is that this is the one chance that we have to take part in a miracle. If this was the birth of a baby, people would be celebrating,” said Pogue. “Death, in some way, is something that is beyond all of us. It is a privilege for us to be asked to journey with you through your most private moment.”

     For the Thompson family, they know firsthand the life-changing work the Fitzgibbon Mary Montgomery hospice staff provides to their patients. It literally made all the difference to David.

     “You made him feel human, loved and important. We can’t thank you enough for that,” said Susie Thompson. “When he died, his heart was full, and it hadn’t always been that way during his life. If you are going to leave this world, choose to have a heart as full as he had because of the Fitzgibbon Mary Montgomery Hospice staff.”

     Hospice is an option for individuals who have received a diagnosis that will “likely end with their death” in the next six months. It is not only for the last hours of a life and in fact, the hospice team at Fitzgibbon Mary Montgomery Hospice would like to begin care sooner into a terminal diagnosis than later so that quality relationships can be built with the family and the dying individual. A doctor refers to hospice once a terminal disease no longer responds to treatment, or a patient decides they no longer want to continue curative treatment. To learn more, call the Fitzgibbon Mary Montgomery Hospice phone number at (660) 831-3293.