Many, if not most of us, have had the experience of sitting with a loved one in their last hours on earth. This is a time for a wide range of emotions for the one who is dying, including fear, regret, grief but possibly also relief, anxious anticipation, and sometimes joy. Having someone there to share in this emotional roller coaster means so much to the dying person. However, there are too many people who have no one to be there with them in their last days and hours. Some have no family, have outlived their friends or have been estranged from those they once counted as family or friends. For these people, dying can be a lonely and scary ordeal.
In order to fill the void for these people, a program was developed that is entitled No One Dies Alone (NODA). This is a program that has been implemented in a number of cities across the country and, closer to us, in Knoxville at the Fort Sanders Regional Health Center. NODA provides volunteers to be "compassion companions" for those who, in their final hours, have no family or friends to keep them company. These volunteers provide no medical services but are merely there to provide companionship, reading, music, conversation or simply a comforting touch. Fort Sanders has recruited volunteers from the community and from the University of Tennessee student body to fill this role for their patients who have no one else.
At Blount Memorial Hospital (BMH), there is a significant need for this type of program. While in some weeks, there may be no one who needs the assistance of NODA volunteers, there have been other times, even this year, when as many as five patients at one time have been in the position of dying alone at our local hospital. These may be local residents without a loved one to keep them company but can also include tourists to this area who, due to injury or illness, are alone in a terminal state while family or friends travel to Maryville to be with them.
In response to this need, the administration of BMH has given their approval to begin the implementation of a NODA program at their facility lead by David Headrick, the BMH chaplain. David will, during the month of September, begin recruiting volunteers with the assistance of the local faith community. An information session about NODA has been set for October 8th at 3:00 pm in the Blount Memorial Hospital Auditorium. Training for volunteers will be scheduled later in the month.
Please prayerfully consider becoming a NODA volunteer an attending the information session to learn more about the program.
Charlie Barton
bartonca@hotmail.com
Member of 1st United Methodist Church - Maryville
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