Several large organizations grant wishes for those in the last days of their life. The Make-A-Wish Foundation adopted the tag line, “One Moment Changes Everything.” The Dream Foundation says they are “Giving Life to Final Dreams.” At Caris, we ask our patients “What three most important things do we need to know about you to provide excellent care?” A Three Most Important Thing can be as simple as enjoying a favorite candy bar; sometimes it is profound, such as reconnecting with a loved one. The Caris Sevierville office recently experienced the joy of granting a patient’s last wish by honoring one of their Three Most Important Things.

A patient in a nursing facility requested one last outing to revisit his home and go to his favorite park, where he spent many days walking and enjoying nature. When the Caris team heard of this request, RN Sandi Klontz worked to see if she could help fulfill this patient’s Three Most Important Thing. Sandi coordinated with the nursing facility social worker and arranged transportation for the patient to return to his home with his wife for one last visit. The weather had been cold for days, but the Caris team scheduled the outing regardless. On the day of the patient’s outing the sun began to shine and the weather became warmer. The patient visited his home and returned to his beloved park with his wife. They spent precious time together enjoying the outdoors like they had in the past. The patient went back to the facility only having a few days left to live, but the Caris team ensured each day was lived to the fullest.

After the patient died, his wife mailed a letter to the Caris Sevierville office stating, “Thank you for making this possible. Everybody worked together to make it happen. It really touched our hearts. God bless you all and your mission to give the care that we hoped we would never need, but thank goodness you were there when there was a need.”