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(Rachel Ashley) Hi Ms. Sarah, I'm Rachel.
(Narrator) Rachel Ashley cannot imagine
the thought of dying alone.
(Rachel) ♪I sing, because...♪
(Narrator) A volunteer at Houston's Methodist Hospital,
Ashley helps assure that no terminally ill
patient has to suffer such a fate.
(Rachel Ashley) They know that I'm here.
They know that they're not alone, and ideally I can
help ease them into dying.
(Narrator) Denice Foose, a member of Chapelwood United
Methodist, implemented the "No One Dies Alone"
program in June 2007.
(Denice Foose) It gets back to preserving their
dignity up to the very last moment.
(Narrator) The program also offers comfort to the
families unable to make it to the hospital.
(Denice Foose) ...just knowing that they're not
going to wake up in a sterile room and nobody's
going to be there or nobody's going to hear their
cry for help if they can't reach the nurse's button.
(Narrator) The 135 trained volunteers often sing or
share passages familiar to the patient's faith...
but mostly serve as a presence in the room.
(Rachel Ashley) I make a point to recognize who they
are and acknowledge them.
They're not always responsive but I always
call them by name.
(Denice Foose) One of the things we train them on is
when you hold somebody's hand who is non-responsive,
it's important to always place your hand under theirs
to still give them that sense of control.
(Narrator) The program also fulfills a spiritual
need for those who wish to give back.
(Rachel Ashley) My best friend died about two years
ago and her family was not able to be there for her so
I got the honor and privilege of being there.
That's what I'd like for somebody to do for my
friends or my family if I couldn't be there.