Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Friday, November 11, 2016
(BLOOMINGTON) - The 2016 Light Up A Life Campaign, now in its 25th year of helping area residents, is currently accepting donations through the end of November.
Each year this meaningful campaign offers a way to honor, celebrate and remember special individuals throughout the holiday season while also providing support to patients with life-limiting illnesses.
When someone participates with a donation to Light Up A Life, a light is placed on the annual Hospice Tree and the names are listed on an adjacent lighted display board on the Monroe County Courthouse grounds. The Light Up A Life gift directly supports meaningful care for hospice patients both at the IU Health Hospice House and in the communities they serve.
IU Health Hospice Bloomington staff and volunteers have lovingly cared for patients in South Central Indiana for more than 30 years. Hospice professionals and volunteers work alongside family caregivers to deliver the highest level of physical comfort and care at the end of life's journey.
Terri Shedd, RN, BSN, OCN, Regional Director, IU Health Hospice of South Central Indiana, shares how Light Up A Life and other hospice contributions help local residents. "IU Health Hospice Bloomington recently received a request for help with payment for a young hospice patient whose insurance did not cover hospice services at the Hospice House," she explains. "This patient did not qualify for Medicaid, was too young for Medicare, nor could he afford to self-pay for hospice services. We admitted him because it was the right thing to do."
As the only local not-for-profit hospice in the area, IU Health Hospice Bloomington is committed to their promise of not turning anyone away due to inability to pay. Shedd went on to explain that she and her staff then reached out to the Bloomington Hospital Foundation for help with this unique situation.
"Thanks to generous donors to hospice care and campaigns like Light Up A Life, we were able to provide the care that this patient deserved," she says.
Those interested in participating in the Light Up A Life Campaign may make a donation by calling the Bloomington Hospital Foundation at (812) 353-9528 or by visiting BloomingtonHospitalFoundation.org, clicking on the "Give Now" button and selecting Light Up A Life from the "Designation" drop down menu. In the comments section, please include the information about the loved one being honored.
Shedd invites everyone in the community to participate in the lighting of the Hospice Tree on the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 25 at 7 p.m. on the Courthouse Lawn as part of the city's annual Canopy of Lights.
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