• Hospice of The Gorge cared for a homeless man following a surgery he had for colon cancer. He had no insurance. He survived for just four days; during that time, we nursed his post-operative wound and provided comfort care for his pain, nausea and confusion.

• We cared for a patient with emphysema, who suffered greatly if she exerted herself in even the smallest ways. She lived on a farm and needed to check on the animals in the barn, but could barely stand up, let alone walk there. We provided an electric wheelchair (not covered by her insurance) and built a ramp so that she could get in and out of her house. She maintained her lifestyle right up until the time she died.

• Shortly after her wedding, a young woman became her mother-in-law's primary caregiver. At one point, she became so overwhelmed and exhausted by her new responsibilities that she was on the verge of collapse. We provided a gift of $150—enough to travel to the beach and relax for a few days.

• One of our patients lived down a gravel road, a full 45 minutes off the main highway. While Hospice of The Gorge compensates its staff for total travel time, insurance companies refuse to reimburse us in kind.