Joe and his lovely sister Crystal spent about two weeks at ABODE, reconnecting, telling stories on each other and experiencing the bond that only siblings can share. Crystal even gave him a haircut and beard trim on the porch right outside his room.

Theirs was quite a remarkable story. Joe struggled with addiction most of his life and had been homeless for quite some time. He sold his ID to a man who died in Dallas at the beginning of this year. When the police found the man, they assumed it was Joe – and they called Crystal to tell her that he had died.

Months later, Crystal and her husband were driving along, and who did they spot walking down the sidewalk – it was Joe! They couldn’t believe their eyes. He was quite sick – and they were able to get him under the care of Christus Hospice and on to ABODE.

Joe was just 43 years old. Such a good reminder of the importance of family and remaining close to the people we love. We were honored to care for Joe and enjoyed his wonderful sense of humor.

And the story continues: Crystal is now one of our End of Life Navigators!