September 3, 2024

Peace and Comfort: Michelle Book’s Journey with EveryStep Hospice

Michelle Book’s father, Marv, was a big, strong Iowa farmer — a loving dad, and an independent man who didn’t complain. He never missed a meal and cleaned his plate with relish. He lived in Jefferson, Iowa and Michelle drove from her home in Des Moines every Sunday to take him to church, have lunch and buy his groceries.

Marv turned 93 in February of 2024 and in March had his regular check-up. Michelle was by his side when his longtime provider asked Marv how he was doing. “’Well, I'm better than some and not as good as others, but better than most.’ It was a standard answer,” remembers Michelle. “And he said, ‘I’m really having a hard time breathing. I have no appetite anymore.’ They lifted his shirt and I saw this big mass around his sternum.”

Tests followed and revealed a 4-inch tumor. Marv was diagnosed with colon cancer. Given his age and potential complications, Marv and his family decided against surgery. The prognosis was that Marv had weeks to live.

Michelle, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Iowa, was shocked at the unexpected diagnosis and unsure what to do next. She called her friend Kim Willis, who serves on EveryStep’s board of trustees, who recommended EveryStep’s Kavanagh House hospice home in Des Moines. Marv was evaluated and immediately admitted.

“We were rolling dad down the hallway and we got to his room — number six —and it’s the room named in memory of Kim’s (Willis) parents, Marlyn and Jane Gillespie. And I thought, well, this is just meant to be. Daddy had a lovely room. It was very quiet. He looked out the window and he said, ‘Well, that's a shagbark hickory. That's one of my favorite trees. I'm so glad there's a shagbark hickory there.’ And Daddy was a deer hunter, so I brought him up to the window a couple times to see the deer that were out back.”

Michelle remembers the special care provided by EveryStep hospice aides Charlie Northway and Simone Williams, who went the extra mile to help her dad be comfortable by bathing him and bringing him treats that appealed to his dwindling appetite — he especially enjoyed the chicken fingers and strawberry shake. Michelle is grateful for all the staff at Kavanagh House, including nurse Nancy Hill, who provided support in Marv’s final days. “She was extraordinary with him,” says Michelle.

Michelle had been sharing a bed with her dad to be near him at night. “[The staff] worried that I was going to fall out and hurt myself, so they rearranged the furniture. They pushed my bed next to his bed. So that's what we did for about the last 48 hours.” Marv passed away in the early morning of March 17.

“He had a wonderful end of life because of Kavanagh House,” says Michelle. “And that gives me so much peace. I was the person to make decisions for him. And when it was all over, I knew I'd done the best I could for him by getting him to Kavanagh House. It gives me a great amount of peace.”

Michelle’s experience with her father was not her first time utilizing EveryStep Hospice. In 2021, her husband, Woody Brenton, was diagnosed with cancer. When the cancer progressed, she turned to EveryStep Hospice to provide care for Woody in their home.

“He had a wonderful nurse. Stacey [Schwarte, with the EveryStep Hospice team in Des Moines] knew exactly what was going to happen and how it would happen,” says Michelle. “I kept in close contact with her, and she told me every step of the way what was happening. ‘Michelle, this is close, I think. Michelle, you have a week or two. Michelle, we're down to days. We're down to hours. You need to call the kids.’ We were well prepared for it.”

EveryStep continued to gently support Michelle after he passed away in March of 2021. “Stacey just took care of everything. She made the phone calls and took care of things and just made it easy,” says Michelle. “Woody wanted to be at home. I wanted him to be at home and so for our situation, for that scenario, it worked out well.”

Michelle is thankful for the care both her husband and her father received from EveryStep Hospice. “Everyone involved was just wonderful. They were so careful with medications and how they managed pain. I would recommend EveryStep Hospice to anyone.”

EveryStep Hospice’s local hospice teams work with you and your family to create a customized plan for your care, which is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance policies.

For more information about EveryStep Hospice, with teams in Des Moines, Centerville, Mount Ayr, Mount Pleasant, Osceola and Winterset. Most hospice care is provided wherever a patient calls home, but when around-the-clock or more advanced care is needed, EveryStep’s Kavanagh House hospice home in Des Moines is available. For more information about EveryStep Hospice, click here. To find care for yourself or a loved one, click here and fill out the easy, confidential online form. An EveryStep staff member will then contact you to offer support.