Hospice of the North Coast Invites You to Light Up a Life

Hospice of the North Coast (HNC) invites people who are grieving the recent or long-ago loss of a loved one to honor their memory at an inspiring Light Up A Life (LUAL) celebration taking place on December 7, 2013 from 2-4 pm at the Carlsbad Senior Center, 799 Pine Avenue in Carlsbad. The event is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is recommended and available at www.hospicenorthcoast.org or 760-431-4100.

HNC Executive Director Nerice Kaufman states, “We annually present LUAL as a life-affirming opportunity to the community. The event is intended to comfort and uplift people who have lost a parent, child, spouse, grandparent or other loved one by enabling them to light a candle in their honor. One by one, as the bereaved walk slowly to the candle-lighting table and speak the name of their beloved, their burden lightens and the room fills with the spirit of  warmth, compassion, empathy and love. It is a very heartfelt event.”

Making 2013 LUAL even more special will be keynote speaker Robert Halder, MD, Retired Rear Admiral, USN. An ophthalmologist, Dr. Halder has amassed many accolades since graduating from medical school in 1968. Upon retirement from the Navy in 1992, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy’s highest peacetime personal recognition.  Since then, Dr. Halder has consulted in healthcare quality for the famed Mayo Clinic and around the world. He is co-founder of North County Warrior Support, which provides free auto repair to junior enlisted service members. He and his wife, Marilyn, serve on the board of Soldiers Who Salsa, which provides dance instruction as physical rehabilitation for wounded warriors. He also serves on the Veterans Medical Research Foundation board.

Dr. Halder will speak on the theme, “The Blessings of Legacy,” based in part on his dear friend Jack, who died four years ago under hospice care in Virginia. He states, “It is an honor to share with others the continuing comfort and inspiration that Jack’s legacy provides so long after his passing.”

Kaufman says that Dr. Halder’s presence adds meaning to HNC’s ambitious veterans outreach program. She explains, “We are aligned with the We Honor Veterans organization of hospice professionals who are dedicated to serving those who have served our country. San Diego County has a high percentage of veterans. Many of them or their spouses will need hospice services in the near future.  Although LUAL is free, it also is a fundraiser. Proceeds will enable us to treat terminally ill veterans and other patients whose families will never be billed, and to help survivors forge a new normal and continue on their life’s path.” She says that in recognition of December 7th as Pearl Harbor Day, the event will include special honors given to active and retired military and their loved ones.

–HNC press release