Thank You

THANK YOU

The Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department is to be commended for their superb handling of Dennis Eastaugh from home to the hospital. Several obstacles impeded the way: a steep incline in the path which was partly paved and partly loose gravel, tight corners within the house and a steep pitch to the driveway. Nothing insurmountable but certainly difficult. You entered the house and did what needed doing in a most professional way. You worked well together as a team, not just smoothly but flawlessly.

How kind of you to have driven so ceremoniously from home to the hospital. It was as if to honor Dennis on his last ride. You knew.

And thank you so much for providing a hospital bed at home for Dennis when he returned from Anchorage.

Wrangell, how blessed we are as a community to have such highly competent, experienced, well trained and well prepared men and women looking after us.

Heartfelt appreciation is being expressed to the staff of Wrangell Medical Center for taking such good care of Dennis Eastaugh. You made our stay with you as pleasant as possible, giving us much privacy under the sad circumstances and allowing us access at the darkest hour.

Thank you for handling Dennis so gently, for turning him so frequently, for giving him end of life dignity. Thank you for your attention to detail, even oral hygiene and shaving. Thank you for keeping him impeccably clean and especially for making him comfortable till the very end. Outside our window snow fell gently on the tall evergreen trees while soft, soothing music played in the background. A lovely homemade quilt added a homey touch to the room and the bed linens were spotless. And ANGELA, I remembered to open the window. Truly, our hospital is filled with angels.

Thank you also DR. SALARD for your periodic checking-in to see how things were progressing at home. Your old-fashioned bedside manner, coupled with common sense and gentleness and warmth, were most appreciated. ANGELA, you are like a ray of sunshine. When you enter, you light up a room because you are warm and vibrant. Thank you not only for your services but for just being you.

DR. SCHIRMER, you provided the indispensable “durable goods” so vitally important for our patient at home, and you were most attentive, checking regularly to see if there was anything at all that you could possible do to help. And you did it all with a big smile and a happy heart. Thank you, Harriet.

DAWN SMITH, you are an unsung hero- quiet and unobtrusive, ever mindful of the needs of others, thoughtful, kind and gentle.

A very special thank you goes out to my daughter-in-law TAMARA EASTAUGH and her devoted, caring FRIENDS and the CHILDREN. I’m not even sure who all was involved, but I do know that you worked very hard to tidy up the house and make things livable after my interminably long absence. Job well done.

A huge thank you to WILLY BLOOM who so generously provided both warmth and comfort in our old beach house for Dennis during his last days and for me then and now.

Thank you to BARBARA ERCOLIN who was so caring and considerate toward Dennis near the end of his life.

Thank you to IVAN SIMONEK who shared with us his special talent, photography, and to AUNTIE GINA for her thoughtfulness.

LUCILLE MERRILL in her own quiet way has taken such good care of me during my time home in Wrangell.

Thank you to ALICE HUNT ROONEY and SANDI CALVERT for their exceptionally well written hospice booklet (“Final Arrangements and End of Life Information”) which answered the myriad of questions I had, following the death of my husband. Excellent!

And, last but not least, thank you to my son SCOTT EASTAUGH for taking the reins and handling the situation in such a responsible fashion till my long overdue return. I couldn’t possibly have cared for your father all by myself alone. You were absolutely indispensable.

TOWNSPEOPLE, thank you for the countless visits at home and in the hospital as folks have reached out to me/us in love. So many have given so much. Wrangell, you represent the very best of what small town America has to offer!!

Rosemary Ruoff and family