Annual Memorial Service Held

News

Wednesday, 20 October 2021 08:17

Heartlite Hospice, located on the square in downtown Scottsboro, recently held their annual Memorial Service for caregivers, family, community and to honor the patients lost in the last year. This year’s service took place on Thursday, October 14, 2021, was held outside on the square, and the names of patients lost were individually written on white bags and lined up on the sidewalk, creating a luminary walkway.

When the service began, Mr. John Baty read the names of all the deceased patients under Heartlite’s care from December 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021. Later, the names of all the deceased veteran patients were also read aloud.

The staff of Heartlite joined together and sang a hymn to close up the ceremony. Heartlite also wished to honor one of their own, Stephanie Arnold, RN by voting her to receive the Gayle Berry award for displaying outstanding service and commitment to patients and coworkers.

The award is named after one of Heartlite’s nurses who passed away after a long battle with liver cancer.

It was at their previous memorial service that I got to meet Gayle, who shared her story with me. What stood out to me the most was her smile, and when in reference to her disease, she said, “I face it every day, and it’s made me better at what I do.”

By Martha Smith