porter hospice residence Archives

Mom, I Love You to Infinity and Beyond!

May 31, 2020 By Sherri

I used to tell my mom, “I love you to infinity” and she would reply “and BEYOND” (and visa versa). I will cherish this sweet voice mail from my mom forever!

My mom was a loving, caring mom to my sister, brother and me! Though we all had challenges in this life, we remained very close, good friends! My mom struggled with chronic illness since the early 90’s.

In 2011, she was diagnosed with Lung Cancer! Then my brother passed away about 10 months later. The whole family has been beyond devastated! Then my sister got Cancer and went through a horrible battle. We hung onto each other tightly, as all three of us were grieving and fighting for our lives!

When Mom was first diagnosed, she was was given a year to live, IF she lived through the surgery and treatment (which we know without a doubt she would not have). We agreed none of us were ready to lose her to surgery and treatments and life in a nursing home, so we chose to take some alternative measures. Mom didn’t want my sister and me to lose her after we lost my brother, so she fought hard!

For 5 years, she had many close calls, she was unable to care for her own daily needs for months at a time, had lots of visits to the ER and help with rides, shopping, cooking and cleaning. Thankfully, she did have small windows of times in between her treatments when she could heat up her own food and drive a little bit. The last 3 1/2 years were extremely difficult, painful and full of constant crisis, close calls, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted livings and finally in Hospice.

This recording was from when she was in Porter Hospice for 4 1/2 months. We are so thankful she had a couple months there where she was really enjoying life the best she could, sitting in her favorite place in the living room and enjoying a beautiful garden right outside her doors! This voicemail was left when we had just had the alarms on her chair turned off for a month and she was FREE to move about in her room! She was puttering around, organizing things and talking on the phone. I am so grateful for the short time my mom had to enjoy her last days at Porter, before she had to go!

Soon after this voicemail, she went down hill. Below is a short video of us sharing our “Infinity and Beyond” just a few days before she passed on.

Mom, you fought an incredible fight and have suffered so long. I miss you beyond words and I LOVE YOU TO INFINITY AND BEYOND! Forever and ever and ever!

Celebrating the Life of My Mom, Carole!

September 16, 2019 By Sherri

Let’s celebrate my amazing mom’s life! Not only was she a great mom, but an incredible business and people person who reached out to others with love and a caring heart!

Carole loved music! She was dancing in the crib, before she could walk, earning her the nickname, “Paddlefoot” from her Daddy. She danced around the house, doing her chores and even wore her tap shoes to school! She went to Cahokia High School in Illinois, where she played the French horn in the band and was the Prom Queen her Senior year. Carole went to college at Southern Illinois University, where Carole the dancer met Ron the musician. Carole and Ron were married in 1955 and had three children.

Later, my mom, brother, sister and I moved to Colorado. My mom was a wonderful, loving mother who was always there for her children. She was also “Mom” to all of our friends and everyone in the neighborhood! My mom worked very hard to give her three children a good life. She was a successful clothing merchandiser, model, radio advertising salesperson and retail manager in a man’s world. What’s more, my mom had a passion for people and reached out to make a difference in the lives of others, no matter where she went.

When she retired, she used her business and people skills when she founded a very successful organization called, The Breakfast Club Singles 50+. Her personal touch set the groundwork for the popularity and reputation of this club, as she talked to countless single, widowed and divorced people for many hours on the TBC phone line, inviting them to the breakfasts and greeting them at the door with a giant smile and hug! With the help of her amazing TBC team, it grew to over 700 members and even more chapters opened up in Colorado, adding more and more events and activities!

Mom was also on the Executive Board of the Invisible Disabilities Association (IDA). She was their biggest champion, lending wonderful ideas, inspiration and excitement to the board. She loved to share their message of awareness, education and support for millions living with illness, pain and disability to everyone she met, right up until the last weeks of her life.

Though Mom was very successful in her career and her non-profit work, Carole’s family, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were her most cherished accomplishments!

Mom fought a very long, difficult and painful battle with cancer for eight and a half years. Yet, even when she was ill and struggling, she was known for taking someone’s hand and thanking them for caring for her, followed by blowing them a big kiss on their way out the door!

Despite her loving, giving, selfless demeanor, she was the most tenacious and determined person we have ever known, far surpassing any prognosis ever given. Her faith remained strong and she would be the first to tell you that “only by the grace of God” could she do it. Mom may not be with us physically on this earth anymore, but she will always be in our hearts, encouraging us all to by example to reach out to others, no matter where you are in life.

My mom graduated from this life to a glorious one with God in Heaven with my brother, Jim, her parents, sister, niece and precious doggy, Mopsy. She passed on 09-09-2019 at 09:09 AM.

We would like to extend a SPECIAL THANK YOU for making the “Celebrate Life” services spectacular! Thank you, The Ambassador of Soul, Biff Gore, Chaplain Jeff Vankooten, Soquel Ross, the Invisible Disabilities Association, The Breakfast Club Singles 50+, Highline Community Church, Hefelbower Funeral Services and Porter Hospice Residences, as well as all of the incredible friends and family who attended our celebration, sent cards and/or donations to the Invisible Disabilities Association In Memory of Carole Mitchell!

Mom, I already miss you beyond words! But you fought an incredible fight and have suffered so long. Fly free my precious best friend! I love you to infinity and BEYOND! Forever and ever and ever!

Sherri

MORE VIDEOS BELOW!

Mom and I had a cute saying we shared. I captured it the last week of her life.

Mom jokes about how someone must have stolen her ice cream, because it was gone!

Mom and me enjoying listening to the song she used to love to sing to me.

Biff Gore singing to my mom. www.BiffGore.com

VIDEO CREDITS: All rights and credits for videos belong to Sherri Connell. All rights and credits for music in the videos belong to the songwriters and artists given on each video description on YouTube. Videos were created for the sole purpose of celebrating Carole’s life.

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We Are So Grateful for Porter Hospice Residences!

June 17, 2019 By Sherri

Carole at Porter Hospice Residences at the Johnson Center

Mom got to see the waterfall up close! She was so happy!

We finally got my Mom, Carole, outside for a few minutes to see the waterfall in the garden! To look at her in this picture, you would have no idea how much she has been through and how much she deeply suffers daily. But she asked for a little lipstick and flashed a quick smile so we could capture the happiness in her heart … a photo I will cherish for many years to come!

It has been a very arduous road, as my mom has battled lung cancer for eight years! The past couple of years have been a formidable and agonizing fight, with many close calls and crisis after crisis. But now she faces the final chapter. Please pray she does not suffer much more in this life, before the Lord takes her home.

Thank you, Porter Hospice At The Johnson Center, for loving my mom and making her feel so special and important in the last few pages of her life here on earth!

Everyone has been so caring, helpful and amazing! My mom is finally at peace, knowing she is not alone, because not only does she have her family and friends, but now she also has her Porter Hospice Team, who have become her family, too! This is a gift in which we will be forever grateful!

After seeing the waterfall, Mom is sound asleep!

It takes very strong, yet compassionate people to work in a Hospice environment. May God bless you and your families for the time, sacrifice and heartache you all face daily. We are so very honored and thankful to have our mom in your care!