Local hospice honors one of the first women WAVES from WWII

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Twenty-year Colorado Springs resident Margaret Durbin is a patient of Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care (PPHPC) that was recently honored for being one of the first women to serve in the U.S. Navy Reserve during WWII. She began receiving hospice care from PPHPC this fall after blood clots were found in her legs. She received a special certificate through the We Honor Veterans program.

Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care in Colorado Springs has been recognized as a Level 5 Partner with We Honor Veterans, a program that recognizes care organizations that are able to provide specialized, holistic care for veterans who are facing life-limiting illness.

“Soon after my mom began hospice care, her care team sent a certificate of appreciation for her military service,” said Durbin’s daughter, Susan Mroch. “PPHPC’s care team takes great pride in recognizing veterans, and that was special for us.” 

PPHPC cares for an average of 93 veteran patients each month — amounting to nearly 30 percent of PPHPC’s total hospice patients. In 2020 alone, PPHPC has cared for 317 veterans from across all branches of the U.S. military. 

For Margaret Durbin and her family, the veterans program has been a meaningful addition to her legacy as a military veteran.

“I’m so proud of my mother,” said Durbin’s daughter Susan Mroch. “Back in 1943, it was remarkable for a young woman to give up everything and serve the country. It means so much that her service continues to be remembered and honored to this day.”