Life Touch Hopsice will host its sixth annual Ladies’ Luncheon/ Style Show/ Silent Auction on Tuesday.
“The show is held annually to raise funds for hospice care and create awareness of the benefit of hospice care,” Marsha Robertson, Life Touch Hospice’s Community Relations Coordinator, said.
Featured merchants include: Aryana’s, Glitz n Hitz, Jennifer’s, Lois Gean’s, Murphy’s Jewelers, Regalia Boutique, Sara’s, Story’s on the Square and the Shoe Box.
“Since 1991, Life Touch Hospice has been serving families in Bradley, Calhoun, Columbia, Ouachita, and Union counties in South Arkansas with offices in El Dorado, Magnolia, and Warren,” Macy Braswell, executive director of Life Touch Hospice, said.
“Life Touch provides quality care for patients with serious illnesses and their families. We use an interdisciplinary team approach to enable patients and families to cope with serious illnesses. By providing teaching and supporting services, staff and volunteers enable families and caregivers to provide care to the patients while residing in their own environment,” Braswell said.
“Our Homecare program serves patients in five South Arkansas counties: Bradley, Calhoun, Columbia, Ouachita and Union.”
“Most patients with a serious illness desire to remain in the comfort of their own home while receiving hospice care. Life Touch Hospice helps make this happen,” Braswell said.
“Life Touch also cares for patients wherever they are: assisted living centers, independent living centers and nursing homes. Hospice care does not replace long-term care; rather it supplements the care.”
Many volunteers have put a lot of time and effort into this fundraiser to help Life Touch Hospice raise funds and awareness. Many of these volunteers have personally been involved with the program first hand and only have praise for its services.
“Me and my husband and I have been apart of Life Touch Hospice for over 5 years,” Cathy McMahen, fundraiser committee member, said.
“Life Touch Hospice is a great organization which helps families in those final days of their loved ones lives. Life Touch has trained professionals who have just the right touch to families in need.”
“The style show and luncheon is a sell-out every year. This function involves the community getting together and giving of items to help a great need in our community,” McMahen said.
“We prepare the meal for the luncheon every year and have a wonderful time working with such awesome people.”
“This is my fourth year to help with the style show,” Melissa Prince, fundraiser committee member, said.
“I lost my mother to breast cancer, five years ago. She battled cancer, on and off, for 16 years. She was a true warrior. She never gave up the fight,” Prince said.
“When her oncologist finally told us that it was time to stop all treatments and just go home and spend time, together, we were all just completely devastated and heartbroken. We didn’t know how to digest the news. All we had ever known was to fight. The only thing my mother asked of us, was to let her stay home. Life Touch Hospice made that possible.”
“The doctors, nurses, and staff showed up the next day. They came into my mother’s home and just took care of everything, most of all my precious mother. Each and every individual, representing Life Touch, from the social worker to the physician spent as much time with us as we needed,” Prince said.
“No question was too small or too repetitive. They were truly there for us. They could not have been any more loving and kind to my mother if she had been their own mother. They treated her with dignity and grace. They treated my sisters and my stepfather like we were family, as well. They offered my mother comfort and peace, when we had no cure. They offered my family the support that we needed to make this wish possible.”
“My mother only lived two weeks, after the doctors sent us home. Life Touch Hospice made it possible for us to allow her to spend her final days in the comfort of her home, surrounded by her family and loved ones. They will forever hold a special place in my heart,” Prince said.
“I believe Life Touch Hospice is such a special cause. I am so honored to get to give back to these special people. It seems like such a small task for what all they do for so many people.”
“This is my second year to work with the auction/style show. I am involved with this event because I believe in the mission of Life Touch Hospice and what they do with and for critically ill individuals and their families,” Lisa Toms, fundraiser committee member, said.
“I saw this work carried out in the lives of two very important men in my life. In 2005, my father-in-law was diagnosed with leukemia. He received aggressive treatment, but in the summer of 2006 it was obvious that he would not win the battle. The family contacted Life Touch and they were wonderful with him and with the family.”
“The second individual was my own father, Don Cearley. He suffered from congestive heart failure and kidney failure,” Toms said.
“He wanted so badly to remain at home, but there was no way we or my mother could give him the care he needed. Life Touch enabled us to care for him. He passed away quietly and with dignity right where he wanted to be.”
“Magnolia and its citizens are wonderful supporters of organizations like Life Touch and events like the Style Show. I expect this year to be no different. I believe it will be just as much a success or more so than in previous years,” Toms said.
“This is my second year to help with the style show,” Mary Aldridge, fundraiser committee member, said.
“I lost both my parents last year and they both were taken care of by Life Touch Hospice. Both were placed in the John R. Williamson Hospice House during their final days.”
“Everyone involved with this organization were like angels sent from above. I could never give back as much as we each received from everyone there,” Aldridge said.
“My parents were treated with the up most care and dignity. My sister and I were provided with everything that we needed through these times, from a simple answered question to a shoulder to cry on! Each one there will always have a place in my heart! Anything that I can do to help with this organization is just a small part of what we received.”
The event will be located at Therral and Jan Story’s Barn and will begin at noon. Tickets must be presented at the door.