Finding Purpose: Catherine Curran's Time in Hospice

There were few (if any) tears, but plenty of warm smiles and laughter at the funeral of Catherine Curran. She had a remarkable way of making people feel good about facing that greatest of all human fears.

"Dying to me is not frightening at all," Curran said, nine months ago. "I'm kind of looking forward to what's coming."

She had just entered hospice. She had pancreatic cancer. It was the beginning of what she called "the adventure of a lifetime."

"I just want to see what's happening," Curran said.

We live in a society that likes to avoid the subject of you know what. But Catherine Curran hopes to change that, by allowing us to follow her journey to the end.

"I want to touch other peoples lives, let them realize, hey, it's just another part of living," she said.

She could try to fight the cancer with all her might and with every available means of medical technology. Instead, she'd rather focus on living her remaining days as comfortable as possible, at peace with the inevitable.

"I enjoy living and when I die I'm going to enjoy that too," Curran said. "I think there is a hereafter."

Catherine's adventure will include regular visits from Dave Kettering and therapy dog Sasha, who Curran calls a "big, fluffy angel."

Kettering can't explain it, but somehow his dog helps people deal with their fear of dying.

Pancreatic cancer is a horrible way to go. Catherine Curran's hospice team has one mission -- making sure she's comfortable, not just physically, but also in her heart and soul.
This life story began back in 1924. It has not been easy. Her father was an alcoholic and drinking cost him his job during the Great Depression. The family ate a lot of potatoes to survive.

"What's to worry," Curran said with a laugh. "As long as you got a potato, you're in business."

In high school, Catherine fell in love with the star athlete. She married Michael Curran when he came back from the second World War. They had a son, Dennis, but the marriage didn't last but a few years.

"I used to be scared to death to die," Curran said. "I thought, oh my gosh, the bad girl I've been. My life is going to flash before me before I die and then I'm going."

She has carried much guilt and shame over the years. Like her father, she took to drinking. Dennis remembers being alone overnight when he was six because his mom was out partying.

"One Christmas she didn't come home," he said.

She was 48-years-old when she finally got help and never took another drink.

"With sobriety, I got contentment with God," she said.

There remains a gap of guilt between mother and son, but it's about to close.

"Our communication has gotten better," Dennis said. "She's taking care of some old skeletons that needed to be taken care of."

As prepared as Catherine is for what's coming, she hates the thought of leaving Dennis. For the first time in their relationship, Catherine is able to make peace with their past.

"I'm not worried about it anymore," she said. "I'm very comfortable with it."

Dennis understands his mother's guilt. He too is a recovering alcoholic.

The cancer is sapping Catherine of all her energy. She's lost more weight and spends most of her time sleeping.

"I can feel that I'm going down hill," she said, as Sasha cuddles up. "Oh, she's a smart girl."

The bond she has with Sasha and Dave is growing stronger. They visit several times a week. Now, more than ever, she's ready to take the next step.
"I'm really not afraid at all," she said. "I think it's really going to be beautiful. It's going to be beautiful."

Her attitude about death is rubbing off on Dave. It helps him deal with the sudden passing of his younger brother, who chose to spend his final days visiting with family instead of being hooked up to a respirator.

"I probably wouldn't have accepted that from my brother if Catherine hadn't told me the same thing," Dave said.

Catherine Curran decided her purpose in life was making this video to show the world it's okay to die.

"Thank you for the opportunity. It was really such a great pleasure," she said.

The next time we visited, she was in a coma and no longer able to speak. But with a helping hand from Dave, she' still able to connect with her fluffly white angel.

"What amazes me even now, is how she's relaxed, the muscles move, the hand moved, it opened up, the breathing's calmer." Dave said in observation. "It's been a pleasure young lady. We'll meet again, thank you for your time."

Hours later, Catherine passed on peacefully with her son Dennis at her side.

2007 Archive: Heaven Sent Comfort
The first FOX 9 report on Sasha