Patient Care First and Foremost

Brad and Cindy Fiscus were like so many families in the Northwest who enjoy camping, boating, hiking and exploring the outdoors with their daughters Christina and Angela. But in 2000, Brad was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. ALS is a progressive, disabling and ultimately fatal disease that makes walking, speaking, eating, swallowing and even breathing more difficult with time.

Brad had an insatiable appetite for maintaining his lifestyle while with ALS, traveling to Hawaii, Mexico, the Carribean — and a family vacation to the San Juan Islands. A very physical and hard-working man, Brad began struggling with what many people consider the little things: buttoning shirts, lacing shoes, even clipping his fingernails.

In 2003, on the advice of friends and family, Cindy called Memorial’s hospice. Cindy says they both needed help by the time she made the call. "It takes a great deal of knowledge and skills to care for a patient, more than most of us have, without some help," says Cindy. Big solutions and little things inspired appreciation in Brad and her for hospice. “Hospice provided a bathing aide and medication deliveries. Volunteers regularly picked up medical supplies for Brad, and nurses helped devise creative ways for Brad to get his medicine when he struggled to swallow." Ultimately, Cindy credits hospice for providing a constant problem-solving group of professionals who cared for her husband Brad and their family.

"Hospice is a gift of life," says Cindy. "It provides a quality of life to the patient and family when death is inevitable." On April 13, 2004, Brad passed away.

"At Memorial’s hospice, the patient is No. 1 first and foremost," Cindy says. "But in caring for the patient, they care for the family too." Today, Cindy helps others through her involvement in an ALS support group. And her message to those considering hospice for a loved one living with a terminal diagnosis: "Hospice focuses on creating a comfortable, quality life for the patient, and for those who one day will be left behind," Cindy says.

As more people come to understand the value of hospice, the need for services in Yakima County continues to grow. Donations made to The Memorial Foundation help fund those services and the development of a hospice house to serve Yakima Valley families.