Respect Life Month Feature: “You are part of the miracle”

For brother and sister Eric Lundin and Erin Rocha, the most difficult decision they ever made became one they could face with confidence, peace and support.

As we observe Respect Life Month and reflect on the dignity of every life from conception through natural death, their story serves as a powerful reminder of the sacred role caregivers play in some of life's most vulnerable moments.

Physicians and care teams at Sacred Heart Medical Center explained their options with honesty and compassion. The family could pursue aggressive treatments to prolong life, though there were no guarantees about the quality of that life. Or they could focus on comfort, allowing their mother to enter the final chapter of her life with dignity.

What stood out most was not the decision itself, but how the decision was presented.

"The physicians and care teams let us know we had a choice, and that we would be supported regardless," Eric said.

The family gathered, prayed and carefully considered what would be best for their mother. Ultimately, they chose comfort-focused care.

"The level of care, the kindness of the doctors and their willingness to engage with us where we were at allowed us to walk through that difficult time and reinforced what we thought was the right thing for her and our family," Eric said. "I remember the biggest impression that I had was with the doctor who just made us feel calm and at peace, contrary to the situation we were in."

For Erin, who serves as a nurse in the NICU at Sacred Heart Medical Center, the experience provided a powerful reminder of what patients and families experience when they are on the receiving end of care.

"It makes me want to be a more compassionate and caring caregiver," Erin said. "It was definitely the best care I could have imagined for my mom."

The support extended far beyond a single conversation. Nurses, physicians and the palliative care team helped the family understand their options and prepared them for what came next.

"Between the nurses and the palliative care team, we were provided resources for options for in-home care or hospital-based care," Eric said.

Even amid the demands of a busy hospital, Erin said caregivers made her mother feel seen and valued.

"I'm sure they were exhausted and had a lot going on, but when they came into our room they didn't make it feel that way," Erin said. "They made my mom feel like a priority."

With that guidance, the family chose to bring their mother home under hospice care. The decision gave them something they now treasure: time.

"We were able to spend the last six weeks in a dignified way," Eric said.

Surrounded by the people she loved most, especially her children and grandchildren, Terri spent her final weeks at home. When the time came, she died peacefully with Eric and Erin at her side.

"She passed peacefully. She breathed in and breathed out and then stopped," Eric recalled. 

For Erin, that moment remains deeply meaningful.

"It was within a minute of me arriving that she passed," she said. "It felt like she was waiting for me to show up."

Looking back, Eric says the decision was made easier because they never felt alone. Today, both Eric and Erin believe healthcare workers deserve far more recognition than they often receive.

"They should be viewed as trusted professionals who have the patient's best interests in mind," Eric said.

For caregivers, the impact of their work can sometimes be difficult to see. A reassuring conversation, a moment of kindness, time spent answering questions or simply being present may feel routine. For families, those moments can be life changing.

"You're part of the miracle," Eric said. "Every amount of kindness brings a sense of safety and security to patients. That's irreplaceable."

As a caregiver herself, Erin says the experience reinforced the sacred responsibility entrusted to those who serve patients and families.

"For those of us who show up every day and do our job, it's a big responsibility," Erin said. "We cross paths with these people at such profound points in their lives. It just reminds me that this profession definitely is a calling."

Erin says that calling is deeply connected to Providence's mission.

"I can't say enough how much I love Providence's mission statement," she said. "We are there to take care of those people in the most vulnerable times."

Both Eric and Erin hope caregivers understand how deeply their work matters, especially during life's final chapter.

"You are the trusted source, and it may be easy to forget that given the climate we live in, but the people who took care of us are worthy of that title," Eric said.

The memory Eric carries is not only of his mother's peaceful passing, but of the countless caregivers who helped make it possible.

"All those little things that go unseen add up to discharging a mom back to her kids," Eric said.

For Eric and Erin, those little things created something extraordinary: six precious weeks together, the confidence to make a difficult decision and the peace of knowing their mother was cared for with dignity, compassion and respect until the very end.