Paul Feaster was a man of few words Thursday as he was pushed in his wheelchair sporting Chicago Cubs baseball gear.
At age 77 and a hospice patient at Fondulac Rehab and Healthcare, he was granted a lifelong wish of seeing a live Cubs game in the Windy City.
His trip was sponsored by the Passages Hospice Dream Program, which helps make special trips, events and projects happen for any hospice patient.
Typically, those being granted a wish have less than six months to live, according to Candus Irby, admissions coordinator of the program.
“I’ve very excited,” Feaster quietly said before heading off to the game.
Irby said the afternoon at the ballpark went very well and Feaster had a great time.
“He enjoyed it a lot,” she said. “We sang at the seventh inning stretch, and we got him some hotdogs. ... Paul is a die-hard Chicago fan.”
Irby said the program’s goal is to fulfill dreams and increase the quality of life of hospice patients.
“For many, hospice is the end of life,” she said. “We want to give them one last great thing.”
Irby said other wishes that have been granted have included redesigning a resident’s room so it felt more like home and taking a car enthusiast on a drive in a 1979 Cadillac.
“As long as they are a hospice patient, they qualify for the dream program.”
The Chicago Cubs donated four tickets to Thursday’s game.
According to a press release, Passages, which is based out of Elgin, seeks to provide holistic care including aromatherapy, music, pet and massage therapy to address the medical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients in more than 60 counties in Illinois.
The dream program is funded through the Passages Hospice Charitable Foundation.
For more information abut this program, call 630-659-5001, or visit www.passageshospice.com.
