2 Smithtown teens share their experience with hospice and give back to the community

John Mitty Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Kids Talk for the Walk 

There are so many great causes that we hear about and so many associated walks.  However, for Good Shepherd Hospice it became personal when two Smithtown teens told their stories: 

Spencer’s Story: My Mother was the strongest person I ever knew. She was my inspiration, my mentor, my anchor, and my best friend. It’s hard to lose any loved one, but it’s particularly hard to lose someone so special at such a young age. My mother inspired my love for life through the outdoors, running, scouts, scholastics and philanthropy. In all my life I have never known anyone more driven to make a difference than my mother. When I was younger, she was inspired by my triumph over my reading disability. Knowing, she was able to help me and she knew she would be able to help others as well. My mother would later become a reading and special education teacher. She was involved with the civics club at her elementary school, was a Sunday school teacher at our church and she also created a tiny-tots program at our church’s preschool. I think the greatest joy in life she got was from helping others. She would apply any talents she possessed to help others, from running, to teaching, and especially compassion. I thank my mother everyday for the valuable lessons she taught me and how she molded me into the person I am today.

I hope the Child Life Program will help other kids who are struggling with the loss of a loved one, to find some peace when their world seems to be spinning out of control. The creation of this program has given me a closure. My hospice experience as a whole has given me a new outlook on life; I only hope that this program can grant other kids the same opportunities in a time of need.

--- Spencer Ochs (age 16)

Gabby’s Story: When my sister first became sick, I was four. Because I was a kid, I really didn’t know what was going on. She had gone through several types of treatments, and was at the hospital constantly. But she always came home, and everything always ended up being okay, or so I thought. She was in a constant struggle with chemo the whole time, I just hadn’t realized it. Then, when I was eleven, she couldn’t handle the chemo anymore and the tumors came back. That’s when I became aware of how sick she was, and how much pain she was in. That was also when I became deeply depressed. I was so young and I wasn’t ready for all of this. No one is every ready to lose someone they care about, but going through this as a kid… words can’t even describe how terrifying and upsetting it was.

Hospice was there for me, through counseling and group events with other kids who have gone through a similar situation. But Hospice is more widely known as a service to care for the sick in their final days, so most people don’t even know about all the other services they provide. I wanted to get involved in the making of this program so I could make sure that there will always be a place for kids to go when they are going through a tough time like this. I don’t want these kids to feel like they are alone. Weather it is an adult, or another kid that has experienced something similar, there will always be someone there to help… Walk On For Hope.

--- Gabby Link (age 15)

Stand up and walk with Spencer & Gabby on October the 6^th at WALK ON FOR HOPE, a community walk that will benefit the Child Life program at Good Shepherd Hospice. Our Child Life program is unique because we provide this valuable service, usually hospital-based, through the collaboration of our inpatient center, patient homecare team, and the many hard working men and women of CHSLI.

            Date:               Saturday October 6, 2012

            Time:              Check in at 8 am
            Location:        Parking Lot across from St. Charles (Old Crayon Building)                                                          200 Belle Terre Road, Port Jefferson
            Route:                         3 mile walk through Belle Terre and Port Jefferson
                                    followed by Healthy Breakfast

            Pre-registration:         $20
            Registration that day:             $25

For more information or to register, contact Community Relations at 631-465-6350.

T-shirts for all participants-make a team, get your friends to sponsor you, bring your family!

jmitty@longislandyellowpages.com

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