Last Wishes Fly High

When Roy Hedin was brought onto Silverado Hospice services, he was no longer able to walk, gradually declining from Parkinson’s disease. Roy, an adventurous man with a passion for the sky, loved to share stories of flying B-25s in World War II and traversing the length of the Grand Canyon in a private plane. He talked of working as a Salt Lake City firefighter for 38 years, hiking in the Uinta Mountains and his second date with his future wife, Joy, flying over those majestic peaks.

Realizing that Roy’s passion was a perfect match for Silverado’s wish-granting “Go Wish” programs, caregivers asked Roy “if you could, would you want to fly over those mountains one last time with Joy?” Without hesitation, he said “yes.” The team collaborated with a pilot and arranged a donated flight, organized ground transportation, ensured medical safety and enlisted the help of firefighters from Roy’s former station to help him get in and out of the plane.

“I don’t know if it was the care he received, the flight he took that day or just his will, but Roy started to improve,” recalled one of Roy’s hospice staff. After a total of six months with Silverado, his symptoms had been managed and his health had improved to the point he no longer required hospice care. “He thanked us by firing our team,” shared the hospice administrator. “We called it a ‘happy disappointment.’” Roy lived at home with his wife for over a year before passing.