Long before hospice and home care were widely understood, Lois Jelneck and Ingrid Deininger were quietly shaping what it meant to care for people at home in Ann Arbor, advocating for comfort, dignity, and being surrounded by those you love.
Listen as Hospice of Michigan volunteer Wanda shares what it means to be present during a bedside vigil, in conversation with Volunteer Coordinator Margo. She is one of more than 700 volunteers across the NorthStar Care Community whose compassion we are so grateful for each day.
Hospice of Michigan social worker Christine Woloszyk shares heartfelt wisdom gathered over more than 30 years of helping others live fully, even in life’s most tender moments.
In a moving conversation with Jordan Carson, she reflects on what truly matters—and helps bring to life one patient’s extraordinary wish: Sheri’s dream to skydive.
A powerful reminder that even now, there is still so much life to be lived.
There are moments in this work that do not fade.Moments that do not grow quieter with time. Moments that live in the heart long after the visit ends. For Dr. Bradd Hemker, pediatric hospice physician with NorthStar Care Community, one of those moments is simple. Profound. Sacred. It is when a child looks at him and says, “Thank you.”
From the first “I love you” to the last goodbye—and beyond—love carries us. Jim shares his beautiful love letter and the legacy of love with his wife Judy in this February 2026 Life’s Big Moment’s story.
