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Greater numbers of people across the country call us now to ask if there is a certified
music-thanatologist who can fly to their city (if there is not one already working in their
locale) because someone they know and love is dying.
When we are able to provide patient care for these kinds of situations, we call the vigils
mercy-runs. These most often entail the swift coordination of schedules between the
patient, music-thanatologist, the care-givers (family or loved ones) and providers
(physicians, nurses, etc) as well as transportation arrangements, flight schedules, hotels,
taxis, etc.
Over many years, we have received three kinds of requests for mercy-runs.
One kind is for the patient who has some very important time remaining
– a month or more – and the
situation calls for supportive end of life care for both physiological and inner, emotional
and spiritual needs.
A second kind of patient may have the more or less time remaining, is not necessarily
experiencing extreme physiological pain, yet has long cherished the ideal of the blessed, or
peaceful of conscious death.
A third kind of request is urgent. The patient is actively dying, there might only be a few
days left at most, and the family or loved ones would like a music-thanatologist to get on
the next available plane.
Under each of these kinds of referrals, the length of the stay of the
music-thanatologist will be determined through team consultation. At times, I have been asked to do everything
from an emergency mercy run to another city for one brief evening, the last night of the
individual’s life. At the opposite end of the spectrum, I have been asked to fly to a city
for an entire week and to work with the patient and their loved ones on a daily basis.
When this occurs, at least two if not more vigils a day occur, coupled with
consult time with family or loved ones.
Any mercy-run requiring air travel entails the purchase of two round-trip tickets, one for
the practitioner and the second for the harp. The harp is strapped in the seat of the plane
next to the harpist, usually in bulk head loading. Mercy-runs are labor intensive and
involve much travel time; you can expect that the practitioner will need to charge a
practitioner per diem (for both travel days and delivery days) and all travel expenses.
At this time, The Chalice of Repose Project can recommend the following certified music-thanatologists for mercy runs. We encourage you to contact these
practitioners directly. If you do not get a swift or an immediate response from the person you contact,
they may be out of town or on other rotations, so do consider contacting one of the others
on the list. Each has will do their best, if at all possible, to meet the needs of your
situation.
Therese Schroeder-Sheker, founder of the field, numerous publications, university affiliations at
The Catholic University of America and The College of
the Holy Cross, thirty-one years of
clinical and teaching experience. Always best to contact first at
phoebe51@chaliceofrepose.org, secondly by phone
at 503-845-6089.
Linda Schneck (certified in 1998, has eight years of clinical experience, faculty member of
the Chalice of Repose School of Music-Thanatology). Located in
Vermont at 802-525-3224.
Sharon Murfin (certified in 1994, eleven years of clinical experience, faculty member of the
School of Music-Thanatology). Located in Montana and Washington (state) at
406-728-9690 or
cell at 406-546-9009 or pager 406-329-6116
Jocelyn Botkin (certified in 1996, nine years of clinical experience, faculty member of the
School of Music-Thanatology). Located in Montana and Washington (state) at
406-728-9690 or
cell at 406-546-9009 or pager 406-329-6116.
Please check this page again soon for additional recommended practitioner listings of
Chalice-certified music-thanatologists. . .
Please click here to continue on to The
American Academy of Music-Thanatology Professionals.
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© Therese
Schroeder-Sheker 2003. All rights reserved.
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