Donna Guenther

An Easy Choice

Donna Guenther walked to her car with the summer sun on her back and a calming peace in her heart. Her mother had passed away just hours before. But Donna was not crying.

Finding peace amid distress

“I remember like yesterday … sitting in the driver’s seat and knowing it’s over, it’s done, finished,” she recalls. “It was a peaceful feeling knowing I had not skipped on any care or consult. … I don’t think you can ask for more.”

Donna’s mother succumbed to cancer in 2002, spending her last 10 days in Hospice of Cincinnati’s Blue Ash Inpatient Care Center. “They made the last few weeks of mother’s life the best we could have made them,” she notes. Her mother enjoyed fresh flowers brought to her room every day by Hospice of Cincinnati volunteers. And she delighted in the garden view that painted her large window with rainbow hues of summer.

Donna took comfort in knowing her mother was never in pain. “You get to the point where you just want your family member comfortable.”  She also appreciated an attentive staff. “There was this complete commitment to the patient and family to really be there – to talk, to vent, whatever the case may be.”

Ensuring peace and comfort for all

In appreciation of the care her mother received, Donna has named Hospice of Cincinnati in her will, noting that Hospice is a “tremendous, valuable asset to everyone.” She is hopeful her gift will help Hospice of Cincinnati continue its quality services and be accessible to all who need it. “You never know if or when you’ll need that service. You certainly want the Cadillac in your community.”

Donna explains that naming Hospice of Cincinnati in her will was an easy choice. “If you embrace the hospice philosophy, it’s really easy to know you want to donate.”

For more information on how to include Bethesda Hospital, Hospice of Cincinnati or Fernside in your estate plans, contact Mary Fischer at 513-865-1624.