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Hospice: Butterfly release is Saturday
5/17/2008 | Today's Georgetown Times Online Edition
Published on 5/8/2008
By Clayton Stairs
cstairs@gtowntimes.com
When hundreds of colorful butterflies are released into the skies of Georgetown this Saturday as part of a Tidelands Community Hospice (TCH) fund-raiser, organizers say it will be an uplifting and inspirational event.
This special eighth annual event -- which is sponsored by the Georgetown Real Estate Agency (GREA) and benefits the patients and families served by Tidelands Community Hospice -- will be held at 10 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church at 317 Broad St. in downtown Georgetown.
The Rev. Ron Farrell will lead the group in a prayer prior to the release.
Those who dedicate one of the butterflies "in honor of" or "in memory of" a loved one, for a donation of $10, will have the opportunity to be part of the celebration. However, people who would like to send in a donation and would not like to take part in the event may contact TCH and a butterfly will be released on his or her behalf.
"This is a time in Georgetown when a lot of different people come together for different personal reasons, but there seems to be a real sense of community among this small circle of folks," said Alan Altman, a partner with Pawleys Island Realty which owns the GREA. "It is just one of those special moments that is emotional, but not necessarily sad. There are tears, there is laughter and some people linger and don't want to leave."
Barriedel Llorens, coordinator of outreach and fundraising at Tidelands Community Hospice, says this event is very important for the families of people served by TCH.
"I have worked for Tidelands for nine years and every single solitary day as I drive to work I am in awe over the fact that this organization has been around for 23 years," Llorens said. "The only reason why we have been here and why we are able to do what we do is because of people in the community."
She explains that because Tidelands is a non-profit organization, it relies on support from the community to provide care and services to its clients.
"That is just totally awesome to me, to be privileged to live in a community that is this caring and generous and gracious," Llorens said.
Mary Lee, president of the board of directors for Tidelands, states that she has learned first-hand the effects of hospice care after her mother, Gerrie, died from cancer this year.
"Until you are really touched by it, I don't think you can really understand how caring and compassionate the people involved with hospice are," she said. "It just makes me even more glad to be a part of it."
About Tidelands
According to the TCH Web site, Hospice is a special way of comforting and caring for people with terminal illnesses and supporting the people who love them. For more than 20 years, TCH has remained committed to creating an environment that respectfully safeguards each patient's right to maintain control of his or her own life.
Patients and families are educated about symptom management, pain control and the grief process. On-call nursing assistance is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Medications, medical equipment and medical supplies related to the hospice diagnosis are provided.
On any given day, Tidelands team members are serving patients in their homes as well as in nursing homes and assisted living facilities throughout Georgetown, Horry and Williamsburg counties. In addition, the N.E. and Ruby Green Hospice House is the area's first inpatient hospice facility. It offers a comfortable, 12-bed, state-of-the-art environment for intensive symptom management and end-of-life care.
Once admitted to the Hospice House, many patients transition back home. Their symptoms are expertly managed with medications and other comfort measures, and they benefit from the wide range of services and broad continuum of care provided by our dedicated staff.
During the butterfly release event, there will be live music by Kathy Cane and Friends, refreshments and children's activities, including face painting and games. Anyone who would like to dedicate a butterfly and/or take part in the release Saturday may call TCH at 546-3410 or stop by the office at 2591 N. Fraser Street. Butterflies may be purchased the day of the event.
