In the News

Hospice Patient Gives Back to Children as Her Final Wish

When she was granted one wish, Ms. Bertha, a Crossroads Hospice patient, chose to give back to children in the community, rather than using the wish on herself. On Thursday, November 18, 2010, Ms. Bertha's gift was shared with the children at Family Life Child Care Center of Middleburg Heights, a high-quality child care facility on Cleveland's southwest side. Ms. Bertha is part of The Ultimate Gift program offered by the Crossroads Hospice. The program, similar to the Make-A-Wish program for children, provides a "Gift of a Day" that fulfills the dream of a terminally ill patient for one day. Ms. Bertha's dream was to be able to give back to others and contribute to the community.

While Ms. Bertha's illness did not allow her to give to the children directly, Kristin Kitzmiller from Crossroads Hospice, helped make her dream come true. On Thursday, November 18, 2010, Kristin came to read to the children at Family Life Child Care Center of Middleburg Heights and give each of them a special gift courtesy of Ms. Bertha. After reading to the children, Kristin presented each child with coloring pages, crayons and a copy of the book "The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin", chosen specifically by Ms. Bertha. The children also signed a copy of the book for Ms. Bertha to keep.

"This is a great opportunity for our children to learn about being thankful for things in their lives," says Jenny Pentilla, Coordinator at the Family Life Child Care Center. "Ms. Bertha's gift to our children was much more than just reading a book, but also taught them about the importance of giving back to others." Click here to view pictures.

For more information about Crossroads Hospice and their program, the Ultimate Gift, contact Kristin Kitzmiller, 216-654-9300 or go to www.crossroadshospice.com. For more information about Family Life Child Care Centers, contact Alyssa Evanoff, Director of Communications, at 440-260-8392 or alyssa.evanoff@bchfs.org.