ALTUS - The 12th annual “Light Up A Life” celebration for Jackson County Memorial Hospital Hospice will be held Monday, Dec. 4. The annual event begins outside the main entrance of the hospital with the lighting of the Mac Mollison Memorial Hospice holiday tree at 6:30 p.m.

The tree lighting ceremony begins with a welcome from JCMH Hospice Medical Director Dr. Melinda Powers. The Rev. Joe Arledge of Prince of Peace Catholic Church will deliver the special prayer of remembrance and Daniel and Angela De La Torre will perform an inspirational selection.

The event continues at 7 p.m. at the Altus High School cafeteria with the traditional “Circle of Light” candlelight ceremony and reading of this year's honored names. A single candle will be lit as each honoree's name is read aloud. Pat Hunter, John Borders and Jane Oden will read each honored name during the Circle of Light. Each name will be included in the Book of Lights displayed in the JCMH main lobby. The popular local Christian band “Pure Heart” will be the evening's musical guests.

The featured speakers will be Debbie Mead and Betty Wikoff, both of Altus.

Mead is a resident of Altus for the third time, having chosen to retire here after her husband's retirement from active duty in the Air Force. She currently is employed at the AAFB Chapel, and is a member of the JCMH Hospice Advisory Board.

Mead has personal experience with hospice care, having served as primary caretaker during her mother's terminal illness and death in 1994. She and her family were so appreciative and impressed with the whole hospice experience, which allowed them to lovingly care for her mother in the home until she passed away. This personal experience led her to get involved with the JCMH Hospice Advisory Board and the Light Up A Life celebration and fund-raiser when she returned to Altus six years ago.

Wikoff, a resident of Altus, also has experienced loss and grief through the death of her husband Dale Wikoff. She will speak about her grief reaction and the events that led her to compile a book of original poetry and prose titled “Life is Not A Parking Lot, Keep Moving.”

The tradition of the Hospice holiday tree and the Light Up A Life celebration began in 1995 in honor of long-time Altus physician Malcolm Mollison. Donations are made to JCMH Hospice at this time each year in honor of loved ones. Many loved-ones may have died during the previous year and the Light Up A Life celebration adds to their memory and can be an important part of the survivors' healing process. Names of living family members and special loved ones are also appropriately honored during the event.

Hospice care allows patients who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness to receive medical care, including pain management, in their own home. The comfort and familiarity that comes from remaining in the patient's home environment is part of the Hospice concept.

Hospice includes the entire family in the medical and spiritual treatment it provides to the terminally ill patient.

Jackson County Memorial Hospital Hospice serves patients in Jackson County as well as patients in Tillman, Kiowa, Greer and Harmon counties. JCMH Hospice is the original not-for-profit Hospice in the area and through the donations it receives, cares for patients who are unable to pay for hospice services.

For information about the JCMH Hospice Light Up A Life celebration on Dec. 4 or to receive information about JCMH Hospice, call (580) 480-4000.

JCMH Hospice is located at 1104 North Spurgeon in Altus. Donations to JCMH Hospice are tax deductible and are accepted throughout the year.