There are options like palliative care available to keep people comfortable at the end of their lives. It has worked for many people. But it is not always readily accessible.

When a child is going through an illness, the siblings tend to take a backseat -- but they are profoundly affected by everything going on.

ANN ARBOR – Medical director for Arbor Hospice and NorthStar Palliative Care, Thomas O’Neil, recently earned a fellow status from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He joined Arbor Hospice in December 2018. “Adding Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine after my name enables me to further support Arbor Hospice’s hospice and palliative programs, and enhance patient care through research, advocacy and service,” said Dr. O’Neil in a release. AAHPM is the only medical specialty society for hospice and palliative medicine to span the U.S. It has supported hospice and palliative medicine since 1988 through development of a specialist workforce, professional education and training, research, support for clinical practice standards and advocacy.

ANN ARBOR – Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, one group of volunteers is helping raise funds for a local nonprofit by making handmade ornaments. For 25 years, volunteers with Arbor Hospice have created handmade Hearts of Remembrance ornaments during the holiday season as part of the nonprofit’s signature fundraising campaign, which raises $50,000 annually for the center. Arbor Hospice serves the greater Washtenaw area. “Arbor Hospice and the Arbor Hospice Foundation are so grateful and proud of this team of extraordinary women who’ve continued to work on these Hearts of Remembrance gifts during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Judy Vindici, director of philanthropy for Arbor Hospice said in a statement. Arbor Hospice recommends making a $25, tax-deductible gift for the first heart and $20 for each additional heart ordered together.