No One Dies Alone

Many people ultimately leave this world due to a terminal illness like cancer, and some are lucky enough to have people by their sides throughout the process. Not everyone, however, is fortunate enough to have someone by their side. Every day in hospitals all around the country, people pass away alone in an unfamiliar hospital bed in a small unfamiliar room. This book recounts experience of Joe Volpe, one member of a volunteer program at Duke Health System called No One Dies Alone. The No One Dies Alone program, or NODA for short, was started specifically to provide company and comfort to those in the hospital wards that are imminently dying but do not have anyone that can or is willing to be with them. The book recounts, in chapters, Joe’s experiences of being with these patients – what he was feeling, thinking, and doing during the patients’ last minutes. Interspersed between these patient stories are Joe’s writings about the program, why he became involved, what it taught him about death and dying, and how he came to terms with whether or not this type of volunteering was good and helpful. The names of the patients have been changed to protect their identity, but every other bit of the stories herein are true. The powerful stories of each one of these patients and Joe’s time spent with them are detailed and moving, and his thoughts on death and validating his efforts are equally thought provoking. In memory of these patients and in support of the continuing efforts of the NODA program, all proceeds from sales this book go to the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program.