MIDDLETOWN, NY — Hospice of Orange & Sullivan (HOSC) held its sixth annual community breakfast recently, featuring stories of caregivers and focusing on the courage, compassion and dignity inherent in caring for the dying.

The event “celebrated the profound difference hospice makes through caregivers who shared touching stories of supporting patients during their final life journey,” the organization wrote.

A panel discussion was moderated by Eric Gatsik, president/CEO of HOSC, and Heather Bell-Meyer, president/CEO of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce. 

“Hospice care holds a unique and vital place in our healthcare system,” Gatsik said. “It reminds us that even when a cure is no longer possible, care always is. Hospice focuses on quality of life—not just for patients, but for the families who walk beside them. It allows people to spend their final days surrounded by compassion, comfort and dignity rather than fear or uncertainty. It is a philosophy of care that honors the whole person, body, mind and spirit, and it reflects the very best of who we are as a community.”

The event included two check presentations. The Orange County Chapter of the Nam Knights of America M.C.  (M.C. stands for motorcycle club) donated $2,500, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4662 in Warwick supported the work of HOSC with a $300 donation. 

David Terwilliger of Cornwall, whose wife Maureen was cared for by HOSC for four months, will serve on the HOSC board as secretary. “You don’t know what end-of-life care and dignity mean until you experience it like my family and I did,” he said.

Terwilliger recounted the love and commitment required by 24/7 caregiving. His wife recognized the stress. “It stripped us of our relationship,” he said, to the point that his wife reminded him that “I’m your wife, not your project.”

When HOSC took over care, their relationship was restored. “All these things became someone else’s responsibility,” he said. “Hospice came to us. It was fabulous, including the ability to stay in our home… the dignity factor is so great, such a huge part of care. You don’t appreciate it until you and your loved one have been through this.”

HOSC also helped reorient the family’s future in the face of tragedy. “My children had a vision of my wife being around for another 30 years,” Terwilliger said. “Coping with that is very stressful. What is the road forward? Hospice provided that comfort.” 

Rafael Colon of Warwick served in the United States Air Force and as a New York City Police Department officer. As a hospice volunteer since 2024, he sits vigil with Veterans in their final days. He was inspired to volunteer at HOSC after attending a Veterans’ breakfast. “There’s so much need for this help,” he said.

Colon talked about assisting an end-of-life patient living in a motel. “The patient was clearly in distress, medications everywhere. I could not believe it. I got him in a bed, stayed with him for two-and-a-half hours, and he asked, ‘What do you do?’” 

The patient also has served in the military, and that bond was invaluable. “The shared stories, it was something to see,” Colon said. “I’ve had other Veterans since then; we’re able to talk to each other and connect… It’s a great honor to sit with them and hear their experiences. They’re so willing and eager to share stories because they know you understand.”

Jessica Epifania has worked for Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties for over 15 years as a Hospice Aide Specialist. She applied to work at Hospice after her father’s passing under Hospice care, making a silent promise to care for others as her family had been cared for. 

“This was the hardest battle of his life,” Epifania said of her father while attempting to contain her emotions. “Watching my father fight this battle was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I cry with families. I grieve with families. This helps me grieve my father, and helps me make sure people are comfortable and are not alone… My father would be proud of me, knowing that I am out there, helping others.”

“These stories remind us what hospice truly represents,” Gatsik said. “They speak to the compassion that defines this organization, and they show that hospice care is not about endings. It is about connection, gratitude and the moments that matter most.”

Founded in 1988, Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties’ mission is to be the leading community resource for providing patients and their families with compassionate physical, emotional and spiritual end-of-life care, with comfort, dignity and respect. Hospice is entirely local, with every dollar reinvested back into the community. It measures success by the comfort offered to families, partnerships nurtured with hospitals and caregivers and the community trust strengthened across generations. Hospice of Orange & Sullivan also operates its We Honor Veterans Program, the Kaplan Family Hospice Residence and a home-care program.

Learn more at www.hospiceoforange.com.