Second Wind Dream Fulfilled by Stephens County Residents

Carol Edwards of Toccoa has become the recipient of a Second Wind Dream through the kindness and generosity of Stephens County residents and businesses.

The dream began the moment Suzanne Repp of Regency Hospice interviewed Ms. Edwards.  The interviewer is known as the "Dream Weaver" and the resulting interview became the dream to be fulfilled.

Second Wind Dreams®, founded in 1997, is the first organization in the United States and Canada to focus on improving quality of life through fulfilling dreams and providing innovative educational programs for caregivers.  Robin Watts, Hospice Care Consultant with Regency Hospice, says their hospice chose to partner with the Second Wind Dreams foundation in order to fulfill dreams for hospice patients. Every month the Regency Hospice Second Wind Dreams board, made up of local business people, chooses a dream to fulfill.

For November, Carol Edwards of Toccoa was the winner.

The social services staff at Stephens County Hospital were instrumental in arranging the majority of events planned for this dream.  Hilda Thomason from the Hiawassee Fairgrounds and a member of the SWD board offered to provide front row seats to the Loretta Lynn concert on November 20th for Ms. Edwards and her friend.  To prepare for the event, activity and inspiration came from Belk, The Cutting Edge, and CamiOrginals in Toccoa. Harriet Glover, store manager at Belk, took Ms. Edwards on a shopping extravaganza.  Flamboyantly leading her through a maze of things to try on, Ms. Edwards left the store with a new festive outfit complete with earrings, new shoes, and a hug.

Every new outfit must be complimented with a great hair style and makeup which was happily provided by The Cutting Edge Salon team of Kerston and Tiffany.  The optimistic hair stylist, Kerston, made us laugh and feel like old friends as she fashioned a hair style just perfect for Ms. Edwards.  The makeup artistry performed by Tiffany was skillfully applied to give Ms. Edwards a beautiful, natural glow.  

Once adorned in her new clothes, hairdo and makeup, Camille of CamiOriginals captured the perfection of the professionals who had pampered Ms. Edwards by taking glamour shots in her studio.  Christmas backgrounds and a quick trip to shoot some outdoor shots were a part of the agenda.  Camille brought out the smiles in the session and created anticipation for Ms. Edwards that her children might get to see some very nice pictures of their mother as a Christmas present this year.

The journey proceeded from Toccoa to Hiawassee where Ms. Edwards and a friend were treated to dinner for two at Asiano's Restaurant and then escorted to the front row seats for the Loretta Lynn concert at the Hiawassee Fairgrounds.

The dream could have ended there.  The weekend following the Second Wind Dream, Carol Edwards attended the Atlanta Country Music show and her daughter sang on stage a song dedicated to her mother with an announcement that Ms. Edwards, if her health would allow, would be spending the Christmas holidays at Disney World in Florida.  Seeing Disney World was one of the primary dreams Ms. Edwards had cited to the dream weaver on the day of her Second Wind Dream interview.  

It is rewarding for patients to be referred early enough for hospice care to be able to enjoy and participate in many activities and see their dreams fulfilled.  For Ms. Edwards the journey at this time in her life is to not focus on her terminal illness, but to enjoy as much as possible with as many of her friends and family as she can.  

The staff of Regency Hospice thanks Stephens County residents, businesses and the Second Wind Dreams board for helping to re-define quality of life and bring to fruition another very special dream.

Carol Edwards (l) and Harriet Glover from Belk ( r ) enjoy a day of shopping.

Kirsten from the Cutting Edge performs her magic

Tiffany applies her artistic touch to makeup

Camille of CamiOrginals gets ready to for the glamour pics