mayologo
  • Patient Online Services
  • Request an Appointment
    • Find
      a Service
    • Find
      a Provider
    • Find
      a Location
    • Visit
      our Blog
    • Contact
      Us
    • Patient Stories
    • Request an Appointment
    • Patient Online Services
    • Pay Bills Online
    • Donate
    • Careers
    • For Patients & Visitors
    • For Medical Professionals
    • Volunteer
    • About Us
    • Press Room
    • Mayo Clinic
    • CaringBridge
    ERROR!

    Find Classes & Events in Your Area

    Recent Posts

    • Speaking of Health
      5 tips for walking your way to better health
      December 09, 2019
    • Speaking of Health
      Grief and loss throughout the holiday season
      December 06, 2019
    • Speaking of Health
      9 ways to make your holiday season jolly
      December 04, 2019
    Featured Topics
    • Behavioral Health
    • Cancer
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)
    • Diabetes
    • Exercise and Fitness
    • Heart Health
    • Men's Health
    • Obstetrics and Gynecology
    • Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery
    • Women's Health
    Patient Stories
    Tuesday, November 1, 2016

    Hospice patient gets a special visit from Chi Hi football players

    Blog_philPitschPhil Pitsch is an avid a sports fan as they come. A former three-sport athlete and standout running back for the Chippewa Falls High School Cardinals, Pitsch, 81, follows Chi-Hi football games to this day.

    Even after he graduated from college, Pitsch continued his athleticism running six miles a day and regularly playing racquetball.

    Pitsch was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease in his 40s. Because of the active lifestyle he had always led, however, the chronic nervous system disorder didn’t progress until a running-related knee injury sidelined his activity.

    As his medical care changed from curative to comfort over the past year, Pitsch transitioned to hospice care in September 2015. He says his medical team at Mayo Clinic Health System has been an advocate and source of support ever since.

    “We just feel that the hospice staff has been there for our needs at this time of life,” says Pitsch, a retired certified public accountant, communicating with the assistance of his wife, Shari. “They’re very caring, considerate and respectful for the care of the family and the loved one that’s ill. You’re not alone, and there’s an abundance of help available if you just reach out for it.”

    Shari says she knew it was time to transition to hospice care when Phil’s health declined and his needs increased to the point that she could no longer care for him on her own.

    “I had to have someone stay with Phil when I need to get groceries or pick up meds,” she recalls. “I couldn’t leave him alone at all, and life in general was moving in on us. To go anyplace was just about impossible.”

    However, they both emphasize accepting hospice care services is a far cry from giving up. On the contrary, special moments continue to bless the couple.

    This fall, for example, Phil received a visit from eight members of the Chi-Hi football team and head coach Chuck Raykovich — a visit his primary hospice social worker, Billie Jo Anderson, helped arrange.

    “I met Phil last September during the football season and have been aware of his interest in football, including the Chi Hi team,” says Anderson, whose son plays on the team. “I would go to the games, and Phil would listen on the radio, and sometimes we discussed them. He still identifies with football and playing in high school.”

    During the visit, the players introduced themselves, presented Phil with an alumni T-shirt and asked him about his playing days, including about some of the big games he was in and what his favorite play was. To say the visit meant a lot to Phil is an understatement, Shari says.

    “Oh, we’re still talking about it, and friends are still talking to us about it,” she says. “Those young men were so respectful and so considerate.”

    Moments like these make the Pitsches grateful for each and every day, and thankful to have a hospice team as thoughtful as theirs.

    “Phil’s care is very important, and our needs and wants are always considered,” Shari says. “It’s not an easy time of life, but the hospice team at Mayo Clinic Health System has made this moment in our lives so much easier. They are here to make our moments more rewarding and peaceful.”

    Topics in this Post
    • Hospice

    Comments (1)

    Lyndia H. Sunday, December 4, 2016

    This post has touch me. I wish the best to Phil and his family, and am very proud of the young people who are willing to pay it forward by showing simple acts of care and kindness.

    Join the Discussion

    Stay Connected

    • Rss Feed

    Find Out What’s Happening in Your Community

    Stay Informed with the Latest
    • Notice of Nondiscrimination
    • Notice of Privacy Practices
    • Terms of Use
    © 2018 - 2020 Mayo Clinic Health System