Local hospice staff helps fulfill a dying wish

WICHITA - To marry Armando, and to never be forgotten. These were the two wishes that Monica Velasquez shared with Phoenix Home Care and Hospice nurse, Hillary Kreutzer, as Hillary laid in the hospital bed holding her.

At the time, Monica was experiencing severe pain indicating her cervical cancer was progressing. She also began showing signs of end of life. According to Hillary, Monica had reached the point where she wanted to give up.

Together Monica and Armando had three young children, and one of Monica’s main concerns was that their children wouldn’t retain any memories of her.

In that moment, Hillary began planning. She contacted the staff at Regent Park Rehabilitation & Healthcare, who said they would be honored to have Monica live the rest of her days at Regent Park. In less than four hours the teams at Phoenix Home Care and Hospice and Regent Park had the entire ceremony planned.

The only thing left to do was get Monica well enough to discharge from the hospital and relocated to Regent Park. On Thursday, April 21, 2022 Monica transferred to Regent Park. Friday morning, she married Armando and lived a beautiful life for 27 more days.

You can hear the full story about how these two healthcare agencies made Monica's wish come true in the video above.