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Winter, 2012Welcome, welkom, bienvenue, willkommen, yokoso, velkommen! For years now, the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Foundation has been receiving email from thousands of people, all over the world. The grieving, the suffering, the lonely, the grateful…We’ve heard from individuals with no hope and from those bursting with joy. Many ask or state: “What would Elisabeth say?” “There are more stages/less stages/no stages.” “She didn’t go far enough.” “She is spot on!” For all of the commentaries, we are thankful. Why? Because it means people are staying awake to this life of ours and thankfully, paying more attention to the care of the suffering and the dying, which was one of Elisabeth’s guiding precepts in her work and her life. Was her work strictly about the Five Stages of the Dying? If we look at the current debate some are professionally and/or financially benefitting from, one would think so. However, even a novice student to Elisabeth’s work could note three things: 1. As far back as 1980, even Elisabeth herself said, “The stages are not linear. People do not necessarily go through all of them or even some of them. More importantly…let’s move on from the Five Stages. They were based on interviews with the dying and the book was written (On Death and Dying), but please move forward…there is SO much more to life and living!” 2. Secondarily, and AS important as the stages are to her legacy… she implored practioners, and all of us, to “listen to the suffering and the dying.” “LISTEN to your patients and your dying loved ones,” she pleaded. 3. And finally, she tried to teach us all about unconditional love…a life experience that demands no “return on investment.” It is in the second (and hence, the third) topics listed above, that society still struggles to follow her work. Around the world, people continue to debate the “five stages.” But we ask, if people are spending all of this time debating and pontificating the five stages, how much time are they spending listening (and therefore, unconditionally loving) their patients and families? So with that in mind, we, too, are moving forward and you will see in the coming months the inclusion of meaningful work by colleagues and thought- provoking individuals from around the world. We feel it is time to look ahead in this new year of ours, with gratitude to all of you who follow in spirit, the work of Elisabeth. We hope you decide to travel with us as we explore together ALL of Elisabeth’s work… And In that light, we send you love, unconditionally…of course. Mary Labyak
Mary Labyak, CEO of Suncoast Hospice (formerly, The Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Hospice), passed away February 4, 2012 and left in her absence, a hole in the hospice field that will most likely never be filled. Mary was an original. Her spirit, her zest for life, the twinkle in her eye, and THAT voice… That throaty voice that carried the words of a kind heart. Now make no mistake, Mary had a fiery, intelligent streak and when combined with her desire for compassionate, quality hospice care… people listened….and we are all the better for it. We will miss Mary’s presence on this earth and in our field, profoundly. “In terms of values, it’s a dream that didn’t come out of academia, it didn’t come out of research, it didn’t come out of organized medicine. It was the dream of people themselves that had lost a loved one and simply wanted to reach out and see if they could make that path different for others. And it was above all about human dignity, no matter how long life was.” – Mary Labyak In Memoriam – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
In response to your questions and concerns, we’ve created avenues for sharing our resources with you via the following: YouTube
International Groups Listing Please feel free to get in touch with any of the organizations listed if you need information or assistance. International Forum on Our Website This feature is designed to encourage discussion among those living in countries where more palliative care and end-of-life care information and resources are needed. Located on the left column of our Home Page, click on the International Forum button to see if your country is listed. If it is, please sign on. If you live in a country that is not listed, please let us know and we will create a forum for you! Please feel free to email us at info@ekrfoundation.org if you need assistance. International Advisory Group We are creating a committee of professionals who can keep us all informed of the latest news in global hospice and palliative care. This network will allow us to stay up-to-date regarding initiatives, care concerns, and legislation that affects you, wherever you may live. This group will also include those Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Foundation affiliate directors worldwide, so they too, can connect with the greater global community. Translation Feature If you look at the “translation” button on the bottom of the left column, you will see we’ve added a feature that will allow the computer to translate the content on the page you are on. We hope this helps to share Elisabeth’s message directly to you and your loved ones. Welcome New Board Member We’d also like to welcome the addition of a new member to our Foundation board: Andre Walker, who became involved in Hospice work sixteen years ago. In 2000, Andre became the convener of the Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa’s (HPCA) organizational development subcommittee, and is now the HPCA’s Organizational Development Manager and Regional manager. Read more of Andre’s bio on our About The Foundation page. Resources In 1979, Elisabeth hand-wrote and illustrated “The Dougy Letter” for a young boy dying of cancer. This poignant little book explains life and death in a way that children understand. The Dougy Letter is now in its second printing and is available for purchase through the Foundation store . ___ The EKR Foundation – where the spirit of Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross lives on.
“Should you shield the canyons from the windstorms, you would never see the beauty of their carvings.” — Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
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