THE STORY OF A STORYTELLER

(LARGO, MD, Oct. 16, 2015) — Like many hospice volunteers, Barbara Delaney of Largo, Md., has a deeply personal story as to why she chose to volunteer with Hospice of the Chesapeake.

That story has to do with telling her family’s stories.

The tale begins in 2006 when her brother died suddenly and unexpectedly in California. She and the rest of her family were not even able to even see his body.

The planning for his memorial service was difficult, but the funeral home used photos her family was able to pull together and created a keepsake video that helped to tell the story of her brother’s life.

“It was just such a relief to have that story,” Delaney said. “It was very comforting.”

It also was a wake-up call for her. She thought about how life can be so fleeting, and she wanted to be sure that the story of her life was recorded while she still could tell it. Inspired by the funeral home’s video, Delaney made her own, documenting important milestones and memories for her family to see.

Then, within months of each other, her aunt and her father both were diagnosed with terminal illnesses. She wanted to make keepsake videos for them, too. She spent time flying to Georgia to record her father’s stories and driving to Pittsburgh to capture her aunt’s tales.

“I took my dad to the skating rink where he often skated and recorded him skating,” she said. “And he loved to dance, so I took him dancing.” She took video while they recounted stories and gathered photos from them and their own families. When each passed, Delaney’s videos told the stories of their lives from many perspectives – their own and that of their loved ones.

During the time she spent with her aunt and her father, she also experienced the work of the hospice professionals who cared for them. As she tried to think of a way to give back, she decided to donate her time and her talent by creating keepsake videos for hospice patients.

How fortunate that her research for a hospice center close to her home brought her to Hospice of the Chesapeake.

Working with Healing Arts Coordinator Kris Carpenter-Zyla, she has been meeting with two patients and their families who are preparing keepsake videos to share with their loved ones when their time has come.

“I try to get in early, because it takes a while,” she said. It starts with an initial meeting with the family. At this meeting she does not bring a camera or gather pictures. It’s more of a getting to know you meeting.

Then she begins to meet regularly, recording the patient sharing favorite memories and important moments from their lives. She incorporates music and pictures to enhance the tale. Nothing goes in without the patient’s approval. “When I’m working with a patient, I’m totally all in. I’m very conscientious about what goes into a video,” she said. “It’s really a trust factor. You say ‘cut,’ I cut. You say ‘delete,’ I delete.”

Delaney gets a great sense of accomplishment from her work with the patients knowing she they are taking time to tell their story, saying that when she recorded her own keepsake video, she was in a “good place.”

“I just like giving the family an opportunity to organize their story now instead of waiting until the very end.”

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Caring for life throughout the journey with illness and loss is the mission of Hospice of the Chesapeake. For more information, please visit www.hospicechesapeake.org.