Our 2025 Year-End Appeal

The following is a message from Dr. Stephanie Patel, Care Dimensions President and CEO, written as part of our 2025 year-end appeal campaign. 

There is often so much love present during a person’s time on hospice. Whether it’s a spouse serving as a primary caregiver, children visiting often, or friends cherishing decades of memories, these relationships are often what makes this time so special. Thanks to supporters like you, family and friends can focus on each other while trusting that our Care Dimensions team is there to guide them.

I’d like you to meet Ron and Dorothy “Dot” St. Pierre, whose love story spanned seven decades. The two were in the same graduating class at St. Mary’s School in Lynn, meeting up on a blind date after graduation.  They married, settled in Beverly, and raised five children. Over the years, their family grew to include 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Ron, a Navy veteran of the Korean War, is remembered for his humor, love of Notre Dame football, and devotion to his community and family.

As Ron got older, long-term respiratory problems got worse. Last fall, the family called Care Dimensions for hospice support.

“We had a wonderful experience with hospice,” said Dot. “It’s a sad time, but I'm left with the fact that there was nothing more we could have done to have made it better. And I think all the kids feel that way too”

Like so many patients in our care, Ron remained at home while on hospice. He and Dot knew that’s where he’d be most comfortable, and it’s where their family could easily pop in for visits.

“Sometimes I’d think ‘can we really do it at home?’ But you really can,” said Dot. “In so many ways, it was like just a normal life here, right up until the end. The kids would come by, the grandkids would visit and bring him treats. Eventually, Ron needed a hospital bed to make things a little easier. The little grandkids loved that. They would climb in there with him and see how it moved up and down.”

Throughout her journey, the Care Dimensions team was by her side.

“You always felt that there was someone there and that you had somebody to call,” noted Dot. “And my hospice team – including Patrick, Jenne, Gina, and Brenda – was terrific. I loved them all. I told them at the start, you come into our house, you end up like family. And that’s what happened.”

Among the Care Dimensions team, Ron and Dot bonded most with hospice spiritual counselor Steve Kohut. For Ron, Steve helped bring communion to the house and provided spiritual support to the whole family.

“Even with strong support around her, Dot carried the weight as the primary caregiver,” said Steve. “I made regular visits to see how she was holding up, and we developed a connection during that time that has stayed with both of us.”

After Ron’s death in April 2025, Steve helped the family plan a celebration of life that moved away from a traditional funeral. “The kids really wanted something different; something that wasn’t too sad,” said Dot. “Steve helped us with that planning. That meant so much to us.”

It’s stories like this one that exemplify how much love is present during an end-of-life journey. It also shows how hospice can make a short-term, but lasting impact on the people in our care.

For nearly 50 years, Care Dimensions has walked alongside families, so they never have to face end-of-life challenges alone. Your gift helps provide expert care, emotional and spiritual support, and time together filled with love.

Please donate today. Your kindness helps families like Ron and Dot’s make the most of every moment.

With thanks and gratitude,

Stephanie Patel, MD, MBA, FAAHPM, HMDC
President and CEO

Click here to donate to the 2025 Year-End Appeal.