Florence Wald was a kind and caring woman. I admire her for many reasons. She worked hard to study nursing. And she spent her whole life taking care of others.
Wald was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1917. She got a master’s degree in nursing from Yale in 1941. Wald taught at the school and became dean of the nursing program in 1958. But she quit to learn more about hospice. That is a special kind of care for a person at the end of their life.
In 1971, Wald helped create the first hospice unit in the United States. In 1980, she opened a new site with 44 beds. But Wald had to because people were upset. They believed nurses should save patients instead of allowing them to die. Wald wanted people to be comfortable and calm before death. She did not want to give unnecessary drugs. She made it her mission to help others.
Another reason why Wald inspires me is that she made this her life goal. She started working for a hospice in England in her late 20s. And she kept going until her late 80s. She worked for more than 60 years for hospices! That’s longer than some people live! Wald kept going even when her hospice closed. It amazes me how she kept going throughout her life.
I also admire Wald’s humility. She never felt like she had done enough. Even though she had done incredible things for our world, she wanted to better herself as a person and caregiver. Wald wanted to do more for society. So, she continued to work.
Wald inspires me because she didn’t just help rich people. She tried to care for people that didn’t have a house — and even those in prison. She felt everyone deserved the opportunity to die in a pain-free way. At the end of Wald’s career, she went to prisons around America to encourage prison workers to have hospices for prisoners. This must have taken a lot of courage. But Wald was up for the challenge to help everyone pass away peacefully.
When my mother was in her early 20s, her father got cancer. It was his wish to spend the last weeks of his life at home — and not in the hospital. My grandfather needed a lot of care, and my parents grew overwhelmed. They wanted to support his wishes but couldn’t see how to keep him home because of all his medical needs. He was in pain, and this caused everyone great stress. During this dark time, my grandfather’s doctor suggested that they call hospice. This was a turning point in his care.
When the hospice workers came, my mother and her family were no longer stressed. Even my grandfather was able to relax. The hospice workers reminded my family that my grandfather could understand them — even though he couldn’t talk. They also taught them how to take care of him with normally simple tasks like getting dressed. These tasks were no longer easy for my grandfather. Although my grandfather didn’t live as long as some people, he got to pass away happily without suffering.
Florence Wald was amazing. She was intelligent, caring, and . She accomplished so much throughout her life to make others happy throughout their life.
Updated March 5, 2024, 5:03 P.M. (ET)
By Stella Pahlitzsch
