My name is Annette Sikand and my siblings and I recently made a gift through our family foundation to help support the Palliative Care Center. (My parents are pictured here.)

Our mother, Margarete Sikand, was helped through this center. She passed away in October 2018 from Parkinson’s  and, because of the guidance we received from the Palliative Care team, she was able to spend her last months in her home and pass away peacefully with dignity on her own terms.

Our father also passed away from Parkinson’s in 2014, and unfortunately we did not have the experience that we had with my mom. We didn’t know about Palliative Care, and due to his condition, we were unable to take care of him at home and we had to put him in a nursing home where he passed away.  

The biggest gift that was given to us by Palliative Care was a way of coming to terms with my mom’s condition without giving up hope on her recovery and prolonged wellness. Up to the point of meeting the team lead by Dr. Babak Goldman, the only option presented to us was either putting her in hospice — which to varying degrees we were resistant to — or put her in a nursing home, which is what happened with my dad. Hospice seemed very final to us.  

The team presented us with a different option of getting the care for our mother at home and allowing the process to be more fluid, observe and interact, interact with each other and the team, and make changes if necessary. This was communicated by Dr. Goldman’s team in a very kind and compassionate manner. The Palliative Care team also did an excellent job of coordinating with the other specialists such as my mom’s neurologist and cardiologist. Because of the Palliative Care option, my siblings and I could remain united in our decisions regarding my mom’s care.

Through the experiences we have had with our mother and father, we have seen both sides and we are very appreciative of Saint Joseph’s Palliative Care team. We hope that other families can benefit from it.