This is Isaac, another hospice patient with HIV. He is also diagnosed as schizophrenic, but is the most joyful person I may have ever met! We visited two other patients during our time with Hospice in the West. The message we came away with is in a word, Hope. Hospice gives people hope by easing physical symptoms and increasing their sense of worth and presence in the world.

Joe and the young woman pictured here are "mentors" representing Hospice in the West. Their job is to educate the medical community and patients/families about the benefits of hospice/palliative care. Unlike the States, in SA hospice care is not limited to patients with a prognosis of six months or less. Joe actually came to the States in 2007 and loved every minute! He visited Alive Hospice in Nashville, TN, and attended a hospice/palliative care conference in Washington, D.C.

Remembrance Wall at Hospice in the West facilities.