Barbara Dietsch’s mother died alone in 1986. “My mother, Alice, was 86 years old and had colon cancer,” Barbara recalled. “I was reading the Bible to her one evening and she asked me to go home. She said she had something to do and wanted to be alone. So, I left. She passed away that night by herself in her apartment. I hated that. I think it’s very important to have someone with you when you die, even if it’s just to hold your hand.”
Barbara now holds the hands of patients dying alone at St. Mary’s Medical Center. A longtime member of the St. Mary’s Auxiliary and an “Exceptional Volunteer,” Barbara has logged over 7,400 hours of service at St. Mary’s. She now gives her time to St. Mary’s newest volunteer program, No One Dies Alone, or NODA.
