Greetings family and friends of Fr. Tom:
Thank you for your prayers and overwhelming support for Fr. Tom. Your messages, cards, letters, and flowers are reaching us here at Blessed Sacrament Priory. Pictures of his friends and family are on his bedroom walls. The flowers you sent have been placed on a mantle with a statue and relic of Mother Teresa. Your letters, even those with 3 or more pages, are being read to Fr. Tom. He appreciates your kind and genuine sentiments.
Yesterday, Fr. Tom experienced serious weakness in his legs. Today, for the most part, he is no longer able to walk due largely to fatigue and progressive loss of mobility. We met with a hospice social worker today to coordinate the necessary resources to support Fr. Tom during this progressive decline. There is a small likelihood that he will regain his mobility, but we are preparing for a complete loss of mobility. The equipment we have procured will ensure that Fr. Tom receives the most comfortable care. We are also planning everything possible to ensure that he does not have any pain. We monitor and record his medications so he receives the proper dosage of pain medication relative to his condition. We have been able to successfully control his pain. Our hospice nurse Joanne (now Eileen), along with Danielle, the social worker, and the team at Providence have been very helpful in supporting Fr. Tom while he resides at Blessed Sacrament Priory. We are confident that we will be able to meet Fr. Tom's desire for Blessed Sacrament Priory to be his place of final rest.
Fr. Allen, Fr. Daniel, and I are his primary caretakers in the priory. We rotate various shifts and care for Fr. Tom in various ways. Fr. Daniel enjoys doing the laundry, saying Mass daily with Fr. Tom, and taking orders from me. Fr. Allen attends to Fr. Tom's daily needs as well—like a most caring brother. I am most impressed by the care of these Dominican brothers. It is a great sign of their religious vocations. To complement this care, we have invited a hospice assistant to demonstrate proper lifting and hygienic care, which will enable all three of us to provide complete support.
I am informing you of these details because some of you have inquired about hospice and how they function. Essentially, Fr. Tom is receiving care in his home, supported by the brethren and empowered by the hospice team.
Fr. Tom is also progressively feeling more fatigued, which affords him the time to sleep. At night he sleeps on his bed and during the day on his recliner, which the Hozjan family provided. He has been able to visit with some people, but it appears that the likelihood of full visits will no longer be a possibility. I am very sorry that you will not all be able to visit with Fr. Tom, but rest assured that your prayers and correspondences with him have been most appreciated.
When the time nears for his departure (whenever it may be), we will keep all of you informed. Some of you have already requested personal calls from me. If you would like me to personally call you at the moment when Fr. Tom departs, please respond to this email with your name and number. Our parishioners are praying and will pray each day. We will also have a vigil for him when the time nears. We would like for all of you to join us in that prayer. I will keep you posted through this email update system.
Please do not hesitate to contact me directly should you have any questions. As we continue to support Fr. Tom, we will also endeavor to support each of you. Thank you and may God continue to bless you with His abundant grace!
Always yours,
Jesson
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More information at:
1. frtomupdate@bspwa.org (inquiries may be sent via this email, which people may use to request to get on the "update email list")
2. (206) 732-7350 (pre-recorded message line with updates on Fr. Tom's condition)
3. www.caringbridge.org/visit/
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