Fran Martinsen - a love for hospice care

A death gave birth to a dream. With the dream came determination. The determination was grounded in faith. And the result sits on a tract of land at 12000 Wornall Road, Kansas City, Missouri.

Arnie & Fran Martinsen

This story begins a little more than 11 years ago, when a man named Peter lay near death in a care facility in London. His wife and child were nearby, and had been throughout his six-year-long battle with cancer. Then, for the last week and a half of his life, his parents, Arnie and Fran Martinsen, and his sister flew to London to be with him. And this is when Fran Martinsen’s personal experience with Hospice began.

“We were greeted by angels,” Fran said. “It was total care. They found us a bed and breakfast nearby. They gave us names of near-by restaurants.”

Arnie and Fran remained with Peter and his family in London until Peter passed away. But from death comes resurrection, and so on the plane ride home, an idea was born. “We said we’ve got a new mission in life,” Fran said, “and that was to build a new hospice house.”

At that time, hospice care was available, though not in a facility dedicated to end of life care for patients and supportive care for their families. Kansas City Hospice was founded in 1980, and hospice workers met with patients primarily in their homes or hospitals. From 1995-2003, KC Hospice was a member of the nonprofit, multi-hospital system called Health Midwest. When the hospital system was sold in 2003, the hospice house once again became an independent, community-based organization. Enter Fran and Arnie Martinsen.

 “I met with the president of KC Hospice, Elaine McIntosh,” Fran said. “It was one of those ‘Let’s go to lunch’ meetings, where I knew what I wanted, but she didn’t know.”

As they talked, and Fran shared her idea of building a hospice house, Fran said she saw Elaine’s eyes light up, because her idea coincided with what Elaine had been wanting. Their lunch meeting turned into a 3 ½ hour-long discussion, and they both came away with a determination that their goal would be accomplished.

Under the guidance of a team of community leaders, a flurry of fundraising campaigns, networking, working out legal ramifications and finding a site ensued. “It was God-driven,” Fran said. And indeed it was, because the non-profit Kansas City Hospice House and Palliative Care opened its doors in April, 2006. It started as a 16-bed facility, and has doubled in capacity.

Here are some of the facts: It serves more than 2,000 families a year; is the largest and most comprehensive hospice in the region; has more than 250 employees and more than 400 volunteers, provides services to all in need regardless of patients' financial circumstances, and serves three counties in Kansas and six in Missouri. It contains a chapel, kitchen and laundry facilities, porches, patios and plenty of space for family.

But the facts don’t really tell the story. The real story is the people who have been served with kindness, compassion and love. Such as the man in his early 40s who said that one of the things he would like to do before he died was to pet a pony, because it brought back such warm memories. KC Hospice House made that happen by contacting a local stables owner, who brought out a horse within hours. Fran said that the man passed away the next day, with his special request fulfilled.

Then there was the high school student who was going to miss his prom. So KC Hospice brought the prom to him by decorating the courtyard, offering a special dinner and providing music. The rest was handled by his girlfriend and friends, who joined him for this special night.

Another special story involved an infant who came to Hospice House from the hospital after birth. “A staff member always carried that baby around,” Fran said. “She went to a lot of meetings, because someone always had her in their loving arms.”

Fran said that in addition to hospice, she has seen palliative care begin to mature. “It’s a growing piece of health care,” Fran said. “Sometimes people wait too long to access palliative care. It is difficult to realize what a helpful service it is.”

Pain management is a major function, but there’s also emotional and spiritual support, help with understanding options, and assistance with transitions. Fran has been a nurse and health educator all her adult life, so she has a deep understanding of the difference good care can make for people who are seriously ill.  She hopes that more and more people will take advantage of such a compassionate option.

Fran, who continues to serve on the board of Kansas City Hospice House, never forgets that this dream came about because of her son. In fact, she etched his name in the concrete under the carpet of the chapel floor. But what brings him to mind the most is every time she places her hands on the big brass door handles to enter the hospice house. She said, “I think, Pete, I wish you were here, but if it hadn’t been for you getting sick, this might not be here.” And so his spirit lives on in the care of thousands of families each year.

If you would like to support Kansas City Hospice House and Palliative Care as a volunteer or financially, don’t hesitate to visit kansascityhospice.org to get connected.