Happy Birthday Alice!

Happy Birthday Alice! She had style, she had grace—and she loved to celebrate her birthday MONTH! Born March 9, 1919, Alice Ballard loved to have multiple birthday celebrations with her family and friends. Many of you didn’t know Alice—although she would say she couldn't have done it without the help of her friends and family, Alice Ballard is indeed the heart and soul of Hospice of the North Country. Alice spent her life in service to others; she dedicated more than four decades to caring for patients at Alice Hyde Medical Center. And, upon her retirement, it was then that perhaps her most important contribution to our communities began. Hospice of the North Country would not exist today without the compassionate volunteers that founded our predecessor, Northern Franklin County Caring Friends. Alice was a visionary for identifying and acting on the need for dignified end-of-life care for residents of the North Country. In the early 1980's, Alice and her friends introduced hospice care to the community with a series of education seminars followed by the establishment of goals: to provide a volunteer network of support people to aid the patient and family of the terminally ill, and ultimately to serve any patient who was in need of its services. And so began a movement to bring dignity and respect to those with terminal illness, to allow people to spend their last days at home surrounded by family and friends, to bring comfort, and to remind people that every moment counts and should be valued. Alice and the founders of Caring Friends lived the philosophy that the patient has always been, and must always be, the primary focus. She worked tirelessly towards its success, never once accepting payment for her services. Alice was kind and generous. Her love of life and ability to see the best in others should be an example for all of us to follow.