A Letter for the Staff of Alive Hospice
Our friend Kip Kirby visited Alive Hospice this month to present a donation in memory of her husband, Mr. Todd Cerney. During her visit she read the following letter, which we share with permission. In January of this year, Mr. Cerney kicked off the 18th annual Alive at The Bluebird concert series, a benefit for Alive Hospice. We’ll be forever grateful to Mr. Cerney and his family for their support. Alive Hospice was deeply honored to provide care and support during Mr. Cerney’s illness.
In August of 2006, my mother Marjorie Kirby died at your facility. It was my first time to experience the incredible love and care-giving of Alive Hospice. Somehow I suspected it wouldn’t be the last.
And unfortunately it wasn’t. When my husband, songwriter Todd Cerney, was given the shattering diagnosis of Stage IV melanoma in November of 2010, we knew from the beginning that his last days would be with you. When that time came – far sooner than any of his doctors predicted – we brought Todd to The Residence with a sense of peace, knowing he would receive the finest care and love possible.
There are no words for me to express my admiration, awe and affection for the staff of Alive Hospice. I stand in awe at the work you do and the lives you touch. You cannot know (yet hopefully you do) how each tiny act you perform, each smile you bestow, each kind word you offer touches your patients and their families. There were many visitors who came to see Todd and me and his parents, Chuck and Phyllis Cerney, while he was with you, and I know how deeply affected they all were by what they saw at The Residence.
Todd could not have had better care anywhere else in the world. I was comforted then and will always be that he spent his last days in the best and most capable, loving hands possible. Who can ask for more than that?
Thank you forever for what you do.
Very best regards,
Kip Kirby
Kip Kirby stopped by this month to present a donation to Alive Hospice in memory of her husband, Mr. Todd Cerney. Pictured, left to right: Todd Cerney’s mother, Mrs. Phyllis Cerney; Alive Hospice Vice President of Community Development Pam Brown; Kip Kirby;Â and Mr. Cerney’s father, Dr. Chuck Cerney. Kip is pictured holding the above letter, which we’re sharing with her permission.
