Southern California Hospice Foundation marks the oneyear anniversary of opening The Heavenly Home , a place for end-of-life care for those with nowhere else to go .
BY SHARON STELLO PHOTOS COURTESY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HOSPICE FOUNDATION
Growing up in Newport Beach , Megan Wymer was outgoing and active in sports from soccer to swimming , participating in the Junior Lifeguard Program and , later , the track team while attending Newport Harbor High School . But , during her senior year of college in Colorado , Wymer suffered a traumatic brain injury in a bicycling accident . From that point in 1992 , Wymer went through extensive rehabilitation and would live in group homes with assisted care for the rest of her life .
Despite this challenge , she became active with marketing for High Hopes Head Injury Program , a nonprofit focused on brain injury rehabilitation . And Wymer told anyone who would listen to wear a helmet ; if only she had worn a helmet , perhaps it would have made a difference .
“ Even after her head injury , she was the most loving and compassionate and caring [ person with a ] big , beautiful smile ,” says Wymer ’ s mother , Dorothy Kraus . “… She was everybody ’ s friend . She wanted to know everything there was [ to know ] about them . She left indelible marks .”
In 2016 , Wymer was diagnosed with breast cancer and went through a year of chemotherapy and radiation treatment . All seemed well until late 2021 when doctors discovered the cancer had returned and spread to her liver and lungs . Wymer opted to try an immunotherapy drug instead of chemotherapy again , but the cancer still spread . A persistent cough landed Wymer in the emergency room in January 2023 and doctors decided it was time for her to start hospice .
Wymer ’ s group home wasn ’ t equipped for the round-the-clock care that she needed in hospice . Kraus wasn ’ t sure what they were going to do . Then a social worker on Wymer ’ s Hoag medical team mentioned she had heard about a place called The Heavenly Home , a low-cost assisted living facility for those with terminal illnesses . The first of its kind in Orange County , the home is operated by Costa Mesa-based Southern California Hospice Foundation .
Kraus went to check it out and was so impressed that Wymer moved into the Mission Viejo home on its opening day , Feb . 8 , 2023 . Wymer would pass away less than a month later , on March 4 , but Kraus says the staff made her daughter ’ s final days special . At Wymer ’ s request , they even held a baptism ceremony in the beautiful backyard . And perhaps the biggest gift of all : Kraus was able to spend time with her daughter without worrying about the details of her care .
The Heavenly Home ’ s peaceful backyard ( top row ) and front exterior ( below )
“ It was because of Heavenly Home that I could just breathe and be with my daughter ,” says Kraus , who spent more than 30 years advocating for Wymer , making sure she got the treatment she needed and looking out for her best interests . “… All of a sudden , I was a mom [ again ]. It was the most amazing feeling . And Heavenly Home brought me that wonderful space to be her mom .”
A CARING PLACE Kraus says the caregivers were kind and accommodating as Wymer — who tended to say whatever she was thinking since the
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