It has been said that when we come into this world, we come alone, and when we leave this world, we die alone. Though that sentiment may be true, some hospitals are doing what they can to make sure that anyone that wants company in their final hours, has it.
St. Peter’s Hospital in Olympia is just one of many hospitals with a No One Dies Alone (NODA) program.
In 2009, a nurse heard about a hospital with a similar program and brought the idea to St. Peter’s. The program is in its seventh year and is funded entirely by donations.
When a patient is terminal and the end approaches, a member of the care team will ask if they would like to be a part of the NODA program — if they would like company.
The service also will also provide constant company to the dying if the family needs to leave for a few minutes or hours. It is not a mandatory thing; Some say, "no;" Some people would prefer to be alone. But for those who want the company, 115 volunteers work in shifts no longer than 4 hours each.
Sound Effect senior producer Arwen Nicks sat with NODA volunteer Charles Kasler to learn more about what it feels like for him when he sits with a dying stranger and to hear his poem inspired by his experience, "Temple of Love."
TEMPLE OF LOVE by Charles Kasler
I'm holding hands with a woman I just met
I only know her name
she's dying
she grips my finger like a baby
a pale pink rosary in her other hand
she's warm…hot
I close my eyes
listening to the sound of her breath
wondering when it will stop
a tangle of tubes and monitors
flashing lights
IV drip
receiving the Blood of Christ
by transfusion
this place has all the charm
of an operating room
but for a few hours, or days
it's a Temple of Love -
the only thing that matters
a Temple for people of all faiths
or no faith
I join in the family prayers
Avé María, grátia pléna
and for a few hours
I'm Catholic
a bouquet of sunflowers
with huge dark centers
a banana on the shelf
reflecting in the window
crosses
rosaries
oxygen
hazardous waste containers
more bananas, slightly overripe
even the cleaning lady
enters in silence
and works with reverence
we make eye contact
that's all that is necessary
and for a few hours, or days
she's a holy woman
Avé María, grátia pléna
she comes over to hold my hand
tears in her eyes
and heart wide open
no words are needed
in the Temple of Love
