Iowa River hospice holds a special place in my heart and that will never change.

Five years ago my mom was admitted to the Iowa River Hospice Home. At the time I had no idea where the hospice house in Marshalltown was located. I walked in blind. I had never been to a hospice house I had no idea what to expect.

I had just had our third child who was four weeks old when my mom entered hospice. My dad, sisters and our families spent almost a month with my mom in the Hospice Home. The thing my mom enjoyed most was going outside and sitting on the deck and just enjoying our company. We could sit with her and let our children run freely without a care in the world. That is what gave my mom complete joy at that time. She would always say isn’t it just beautiful out here, can you believe we are in Marshalltown?

The area is so isolated and peaceful, it truly is an amazing place to be during such a horrible time. I can’t imagine the city placing a road through the property. One of the most memorable moments I have is watching our kids being kids — carefree and not having to worry about any traffic and just soaking up every last second with Mom that we could. 

Peace and quiet is what the patients of hospice deserve. They shouldn’t be interrupted by loud noises or traffic.