Jim's Story

    Jim was brought to the hub by a friend.  Jim had a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) that was dangerously elevated.  Jim was intellectually functioning lower.  He was afraid because his father passed away from prostate cancer.  Jim did not have family or friends that could assist him.  Staff and volunteers from the hub were able to walk through the cancer journey with Jim.  From 2021 to 2024, Jim had other health issues.  In fact, by 2023, Jim was so frail from being sick that he could no longer care for himself.  The hub was contacted by the hospital stating that Jim needed someone to be a healthcare representative for him because a lot of medical decisions had to be made.  The hub staff along with another community member took on this responsibility until Jim’s death in 2024.  The hub staff and a community member were granted guardianship by the court over Jim’s healthcare and other life situations, including his burial.  Unfortunately, this is not the first time this has happened.  We seldom think about end of life for the people who have no one to care for them should they become incapacitated.  The Mitchell Hub was there for Jim until the end.  The community member that stepped up to assist the hub with Jim, Steve Smith, now serves on the hub’s board.