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Patient Perspectives

A New

Lease On Life Fleeting
Friendship

Tina “Terri” Burrier was in so much pain she was in a Mitch Incarnato has been a
hospital for a month before she finally met Carla Jolley WhidbeyHealth Hospice Care
ARNP, a WhidbeyHealth Palliative Care specialist.
volunteer for the past five years.
“I found out my cancer had come back,” Burrier said.
One of his most common jobs as a volunteer is “respite,”
She had been three years breast cancer free when her back where he gives the primary caregiver a break so that they
started hurting very badly. That’s when it can get out of the house, do their errands or just get away for
was discovered that her spine was full themselves for period of time.
of cancer after it metastasized to “Mostly my job is to sit with the patients, hold their hands, get
her bones.
them a glass of water or talk to them if they can,” Incarnato said.
WhidbeyHealth Hospice Care Mitch tells the story of one of his most beloved patients, who
Medical Director, Dr. Jerald was on palliative care before he went into hospice. The patient
Sanders told Burrier that he was an ex-priest of Irish descent, who married a Mother
thought she would have two Superior and wrote a book about that experience. As an Irish/
or three years of life, unlike an
earlier prognosis from another Italian American from a large Catholic family himself, Mitch
related to the patient’s story and the two became fast friends.
facility, which suggested she had
only two to three weeks left. Instead “I was with him for about a year and half, and we became
of telling Terri there was nothing more quite close,” Incarnato said.
they could do, Dr. Sanders asked:
“I would fix things around the house for him or have lunch
“How do you want to spend the rest of your life, Terri?” with him, and we just became very good friends.”
The palliative care team works alongside Dr. Sanders to The ex-priest and his wife came to the Northwest from New
extend a patient’s life. By relieving symptoms, the palliative Mexico, but his wife died shortly after Mitch was assigned to him.
care team may actually help you improve. This approach
to care is for anyone with a serious, life-threatening illness, “That is one of the reasons I do hospice volunteering –
whether they’re expected to live for years or for months or because many of our elderly citizens are alone. Before he was
for just days, and for Terri, it did change her life. moved to hospice, he asked me if I would be with him when he
passed away. I told him that of course I would.”
“Carla has helped me so much, including with my
depression. I felt like I had a new lease on life. She helped me Mitch said that the ex-priest once gave him the biggest
get my pain management under control compliment he had ever received when he
and also off the medications that were said: “You are more like a priest than any
not necessary for my condition. She priest I’ve ever met.”
always listens so well to me,” Burrier said. To Learn More “I think of him,” Incarnato said.
“Carla is inspirational. I’ve never met “I was the last friend he ever made and
anyone like her. She’s always there for Hospice Care Volunteer I wish I had met him sooner. I think he saw
me no matter what. I just don’t know Time commitments are flexible. Bring something in me that made him wish he
what I would have done without her. your interest and passion for service. had more strength; more time to share in
I’m so grateful.” Please call for information regarding the friendship.”
~ Tina Terri Burrier, Freeland upcoming training. ~ Mitch Incarnato, Oak Harbor

Donna Selig, 360.914.5635