Stories from the Heart

We do a lot of things at Hospice of Charleston, but these letters and stories from patient families say it best. We touch lives. We make a difference to our patients and their families.


Hospice of Charleston Hospice Center Brings Peace

Betty Herring is described by her husband as a fantastic cook, wonderful grandmother, a lady with a giving heart and a caregiver for the elderly.
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In Memory of Joshua Johnson

Young man's fighting spirit was inspiration: Family reflects on struggle with a rare bone cancer
By: Brian Hicks
The Post & Courier
April 7, 2009

In his final moments, Joshua Johnson was still fighting.

For four years, he had battled a rare bone cancer that struck him during his senior year at James Island High School. Since then, he had endured the chemotherapy and made the most of his remission. First the cancer retreated, then it came back even stronger. And when it appeared he would not live to see his son born, Josh rallied. He would not give up. But earlier this week, he realized it was time. Cancer does not give up easily, either. Josh died Monday night.
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When entering the home of 21 year old Joshua Johnson and understanding all that he's gone through in the past four years, the scripture above is a testament of what God's work can do in one's life….even when others feel that life is short lived. As the story of Joshua is told, Joshua Johnson was once known as a very smart, outgoing, charismatic, and athletic young man…none of these characteristics changed, but his life did.

In his senior year of high school, Joshua was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma-a rare disease in which cancer cells are found in the bone or in soft tissue. The most common areas in which it occurs are the pelvis, the femur, the humerus, and the ribs. Ewing sarcoma occurs most frequently in male teenagers. Joshua however, through youth or just general "Will" to live his life to the fullest, did not let this diagnosis hinder his life as a teenager or young adult. Read more about Joshua and his family.


Willie and Melanie shared hopes and dreams of a life together. They envisioned an 'Island Wedding' with a honeymoon of sun-filled days sailing in the Caribbean. That was before Willie, aged 41, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a rapidly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease that causes muscle weakness and atrophy. Consuming all the information he could via the internet, Willie understood ALS was not conquerable, but decided early on to control whatever he could in his illness.

Willie heard about hospice care and after visiting the Hospice of Charleston Web site, initiated his own care. At first, Willie and his family were leery. Willie really wanted to be in control of his life. He wanted to stay at home and avoid the hospital. Traditional pain medications made him 'loopy' and he insisted his preferences for other pain reduction techniques be investigated. And then there was the 'hospice team' coming and going. Could they really make this work? Read more from this touching story.


Dear Friends,

Everyday, we share with family, friends and strangers the truly remarkable experience we have had with Hospice of Charleston. No one dared dream we could have been so blessed as we were. We give full credit to the inspiration, encouragement, and love from the aides, nurses, and social workers for the progress our father made - truly coming back to life again. He was the first to say you pulled him through the dark days and gave him the will and desire to once again have a quality of life. Even though that time was short-lived, he left us with happy memories and a smiling face! We feel very fortunate. Our hearts will always be grateful to a remarkable group of Angels. It is comforting to know you will be there for others in need. We will miss you in our daily lives, but you will remain in our hearts forever.

Bless each of you.


Dear Hospice of Charleston,

Our family would like to thank you so much for your kindness and wonderful care of our friend and mother. Without your support and guidance we would not have been able to grant Mom her last wish, which was to die at home. Due to you, our "lifeline," we were able to take Mom to our traditional Thanksgiving dinner. She went to my brother's house as usual and her whole family was there. She enjoyed herself so much that she didn't want to go home. We laid her down on the sofa by the fire and everyone sat by her side, talking about old times. She stayed there for five hours.

Mom spoke with everyone that was important to her before she died, and we could not have done that without your support. Our Mother was a wonderful, unique and strong woman. Her final days of struggling to hang on to life just drove those thoughts home to us. Almost all of Mom's children were with her when she died. We all watched the sunrise together that morning, while listening to Mom's favorite music. Mom loved her music. We held her hand, knowing in our hearts that she was slipping away from us and trying desperately to hang on to her for our selfish needs. When we had enough courage to let her go and end her suffering. God willing, we told her that she could go now, that we loved her and thanked her for giving us our life. We told her that we would survive because of her and kissed her goodbye.

Mom passed away quietly and gently while my brothers and I were holding her hand and sharing memories of here. It was a great gift! Without your support and help we could not have shared those memories with Mom. Everyone in your organization are truly "angels passing through" and you should be proud of what you have done for us and the many others who have sought your help.

Thank you ever so much for your support and kindness. You have given us a loving last memory with our Mom. We will remember it always!




Do you have a story that you would like to share with us? We would love to hear from you. Send us an e-mail at info@hospiceofcharleston.org.