In her daughter’s eyes, Donna  Goeb was always a strong willed and independent woman. That is why it did not come as a huge surprise to Michele Goeb-Burkett when her mother made all of the decisions involving her own health care through the very end of her life. Even though Michele has quite a lot of experience in the area—she is an RN and serves as Chief Nursing Officer at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center—she says her mom really guided her own treatment plan with Ovarian Cancer.

Like so many Central Florida residents, the Goeb family is originally from up North—the Columbus, Ohio area.  Donna moved down to Florida and eventually Michele followed. Michele followed in their mother’s footsteps, as Donna was an RN herself. In 2003, the family went through an awful shock when Donna was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer at just 56 years of age.

She started a treatment plan but the cancer spread very rapidly and soon she decided that the cancer-fighting medicine was making her too sick and she wanted to focus on quality of life instead. She requested of her surgical oncologist, Dr. Christopher Windham, to discharge her from the hospital with home hospice services when she was ready to go home. But soon after, Donna and her family realized they were not the best equipped to deal with Donna’s pain at home and she chose to be admitted to the Florida Hospital HospiceCare unit at Oceanside.
 
“It was the best decision we could have made,” Michele said. “The HospiceCare staff were wonderful. They realize that while the patient’s comfort is the priority, there is an entire family that needs support and love. And that is just what they offer.”

Michele described how comfortable the Hospice environment was, her and her siblings took turns spending the night with their mother, showered there and headed off to work just like they were at home. She also appreciated how the HospiceCare staff got to know each patient and family, because everyone is different and each family is unique.  Donna chose to take part in the popular “Hospooch” program, where Hospice volunteers bring friendly trained dogs by patient rooms to offer some fun and light in their day.
Michele also appreciated that the staff always made sure her mother was both physically comfortable and looking her best. The staff at HospiceCare would help brush her hair and apply lipstick so she was ready for her visits with friends and family, something that was important to Donna.

Donna was able to come home for Christmas Eve 2009 where she was surrounded by the warmth of many family members who traveled near and far to share the holidays together. She eventually returned to HospiceCare at Oceanside where she passed away a few days later.

What was really amazing about her family’s experience with HospiceCare was how it helped her become a better nurse and CNO, Michele said. She then realized how true it is that death is a phase of life and should be embraced as such. Her mother had the wisdom to know that her journey with Hospice was right where she needed to be in the end to be physically comfortable and to give her family peace of mind.  Her sister, Geri was inspired to pursue an RN degree and wants to be a hospice nurse.

Michele experienced first-hand what it meant for Florida Hospital to create a “ministry.” It meant to deliver physical comfort, emotional and spiritual care, for both the patient and the family. Facing end of life can be an overwhelming experience for patients and their families but through the work of some very special Hospice team members and the strength of God’s hand, Donna passed away in peace and her family found comfort, as well.

For more information, visit www.FHHospiceCare.org