St. Camillus in Wauwatosa shattering the image of hospice with focus on life

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St. Camillus Wauwatosa is getting the word out about its belief that hospice can be a powerful and dignifying experience.

The main goal is to help individuals live symptom free while affirming peace, dignity, and sanctity of life.

Most recently, the interdisciplinary care team came up with a program called Making Dreams Come True; to allow those with a life limiting illness to participate in an event or activity special to them for possibly the last time.

On April 17th, 2017, St. Camillus resident Marion Guild wished to travel to her cottage on Booth Lake in East Troy, WI.

TODAY on the CBS 58 News at 4, we'll meet her daughter and the caregiver who made it happen.

The cabin holds many of Marion’s most treasured memories both as a child and adult. It all started when her father built the small, quaint cottage in 1924 and she spent all summer long enjoying every moment.

Eventually she inherited the cabin and started a family of her own. She had 9 beautiful children (5 of which own the cabin today), earning a degree in Education at the University of Milwaukee Teacher’s College, and teaching gifted 5th graders for over 20 years.

Once Marion reached retirement, she searched for a meaningful project that would allow her to gift her children and the community something substantial that showed the amazing thoughts, memories and emotions of her life.

Marion decided to write a book on the history and her experience at Booth Lake. “Booth Lake: A Long Love Affair” was published in 2002 and it turned out to be a 73 page historical book focusing on the different generations of Booth Lake, beauty spots, romance and heartache.

A perfect sentence to sum up the book is, “Accounts documented in this book are the hearts and flowers entwined throughout the epic love story which is Booth's Lake’s legacy.

The true romance of the lake is that which has captivated its inhabitants and endured for a millennium.”

Throughout the day, Marion and her children Liz and Leo talked about the book and reminisced on how they learned to work together as a family.

To them, the cabin was in many ways and continues to be their reminder of “what life is really about; love, family, and sticking together.”

All in attendance could see the amazing past, present and future generational memories that all stemmed from a small, quaint cabin on Booth Lake.

As a not-for-profit, St. Camillus is dedicated to the mission of providing quality service to the aging.

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