Death is a complicated process, says Susie Smith, executive director of the nonprofit @Hospice of Anchorage. Decision making becomes overwhelming. People lose the faculties they had their whole lives.
“If you don’t have someone advocating for your needs outside of your medical team, that can feel very desolate.” Hospice of Anchorage, one of AIOF’s 2024 grantees, helps bridge that gap for patients, providing essential non-medical services to restore autonomy and dignity to the process – something Smith calls “the living part of dying.” Smith came to hospice care after experiencing the devastating loss of her mother.
Smith, who is now a Colonel, was serving in the U.S. Air Force at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and making periodic, cross-country visits to the Maine facility where her mother was receiving treatment. Smith was amazed by the level of care her mother was provided, and the autonomy it gave her, allowing her to pass away at home on her own terms.
It pushed Smith toward a career in hospice care, running parallel to her 24 years of military service, where she served first as a volunteer, and now as executive director. By offering free hospice care services, Hospice of Anchorage can bridge a gap the community desperately needs.
Its programming runs the gamut, from volunteers who offer companionship to hospice patients, to care packages filled with items like peonies or holiday cards, to an essential resource closet full of crucial items like incontinence pads and walkers that, for many patients, become prohibitively expensive. Smith’s personal connection to compassionate care deepened when she received her own cancer diagnosis just two weeks after her mother’s, followed by treatment from Anchorage Radiation Oncology Center’s Dr. Magnuson. Opportunities like charity climbs with Radiating Hope gave her something to work toward. Nine months to the day after finishing her treatment, she summited Kilimanjaro to raise funds for cancer care.
“This partnership is not only professional,” Smith said. “It’s personal to me.” Smith’s story underscores the interconnectedness of Alaska’s community. As Alaskans, we thrive when we collaborate, share resources and valuable wisdom. If you want to share your time with Hospice of Anchorage, please visit their volunteer page to learn how to get involved: https://hospiceofanchorage.org/volunteer/.
Susie is this month’s featured partner in the Aurora Changemaker Spotlight, a series by AIOF to recognize changemakers in Alaska’s cancer care community.