My name is Rosemary Parks. I am a retired RN. Recently, I have been caring for people in their last journey of life.

Last month, the director of nurses at Surprise Valley Hospital suggested I take the end-of-life doula training. The training is in Santa Rosa in June. The training is put on by a nationally known organization, INELDA. It's 4 days of training in person, plus a 12-hour online class. The cost of the class is 800 dollars, and travel, lodging, and meals for 5 days will be about 1200 dollars.

I live in a rural area; there are no hospice services within 250 miles. There are several small communities in this area that could benefit from this type of support. I am a widow, which gives me freedom from responsibilities. I have time to be available as needed. This will be strictly a volunteer project.

Last month, I was able to spend 8 days with a patient. When her condition became grave, I stayed with her for 4 days and nights. She had no family. Often in these situations, you are supporting the family members as well. This training will make me valuable to both family and patient.