Regional Hospice is expanding to best serve babies and children with terminal illness, and their loved ones. The North Star in Danbury will be the only residential hospice in the Northeast, and one of only five in the country. It will cater to the complex needs of children at the end of life.
A virtual event benefiting children's hospice programming and the North Star expansion is being held on December 3rd. The evening will feature Miguel Cervantes, Broadway's Hamilton. He will perform an original work in memory of his late daughter, Adelaide. Cervantes and his wife, Kelly, a national health advocate and activist, are commemorating the life of their daughter, who died in hospice last year, just before her 4th birthday.
Cervantes will be singing his song “‘Til the Calm Comes,” with piano accompaniment by Tamar Greene, who played the role of George Washington alongside Cervantes in the New York production of Hamilton. Cervantes had played the title role of Alexander Hamilton for three years in Chicago before taking over the role on Broadway.
The event is free, though registration is required online makingthebestofeveryday.org or by calling 203-456-8208 or 203-702-7400.
A component of the expansion plan in Danbury is to enhance the Special Patient Fund, the nonprofit program that subsidizes over $1 million in care costs annually, including respite care, for families in need. A temporary stay at the North Star residential hospice will provide children with the comforts of home, coupled with round the clock specialized clinical care. Respite care is not often covered by insurance. Subsidized by the Special Patient Fund, parents are given a break from caretaking to focus on reconnecting as a family.
The Wish Upon the North Star event includes a silent auction featuring a cooking class with the Iron Chef and restaurateur, Ming Tsai; a Zoom call with TikTok sensation Mark Anastasio; and a romantic Italian villa get-away, among a range of other unique items and experiences. Rising star, singer-songwriter Jon Davis will also perform his moving song “One Wish,” written to benefit the North Star.
