Published: November 02, 2026

National Hospice and Palliative Care Month – David Etzwiler’s Story

A Life Built on Solid Ground

The Susquehanna River has a way of carving its own path, steady and unyielding. For sixty-two years, David Etzwiler lived his life with that same quiet strength. He was a man who built things to last—whether it was the home he physically spent two years framing alongside his family on twenty-three acres of land, or the forty-four years of deep, enduring love he shared with his wife, Barbara.

David was a man of action and simple joys. He didn’t shy away from hard physical labor and taught his two daughters the pride that could come from hard work and determination.  He also showed them how to enjoy life. He loved the friendly rivalry of a good volleyball game, the hair-flying intensity of a great roller coaster, and the action-packed fight scenes of a Bruce Lee movie. He cherished the many adventures he had with his family traveling anywhere from Graceland to Gatlinburg to Disney to the Biltmore. He loved the crackle of a campfire during the family’s bi-annual camping trips, the hypnotizing guitar licks at a rock and roll concert, and the thunderous roar of a motorcycle. In his mind, retirement was meant to be paved with two-wheel adventures, fun-loving destinations, and miles logged on his Harley-Davidson.

The Storm on the Horizon

But life, like the river, can take a sudden, turbulent turn and David’s world went down a path no one anticipated. Diagnosed with transverse myelitis, his own body became a cage. Over the course of two years, the man who had planted fields of corn and built his own house could no longer walk, feel, or speak. When breathing became a battle on a snowy day, his son-in-law had to shovel furiously through the drifts just so the EMS crew could reach the front door.

Hospitalized as the world gripped the terrifying early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, David’s challenges multiplied. He lost his sight, he lost the ability to breathe without a respirator, and as COVID-19 restrictions intensified, he lost the ability to have his family nearby. As his only permitted companion, his wife stood by his side as the doctors tried desperately to clear his blood, but the treatments failed. The hospital was reaching a breaking point as they knew David only had a short time left and they could no longer help him. His family was informed that he would need to be moved to a new facility or sent home with the aid of hospice. Because of the pandemic the family knew that moving David to a new facility meant he would most likely die alone as even his wife was not permitted to come with him. So, the family scrambled to find a hospice that would work with them, but because he was on a respirator they dealt with one rejection after another. The family felt entirely stranded, facing the heartbreaking possibility that their loved one would face his final days alone.

The Angels in Disguise

That was when Kevin Bryden, a compassionate RN and the Clinical Director at Avita Home Health & Hospice, stepped into their lives. He acted as the answer to a prayer they hadn’t known how to voice. While others saw administrative roadblocks, Kevin saw a husband, father, and a grandfather who deserved to be surrounded by love. “I’ll get him home,” Kevin promised.

Reflecting on the crisis, Kevin shared, “In David’s case, I knew time would be so valuable to him and the family. Hospice care is so essential because it shifts the focus from curing a disease or illness to maximizing comfort and quality of life when the end of life is near. Our main goal was to make sure David got home, allowing him to spend his remaining time surrounded by loved ones with personal comforts instead of isolated in a room because of COVID-19. In cases like David’s, families are frequently left alone to handle very complex caregiving issues. Along with our chaplains, social workers, nurses, and counselors, our greatest fulfillment is to help everyone process emotions, find closure, and peace.”

True to his word, Kevin and the Avita team coordinated everything. They arranged the specialized ambulance required for his respirator and meticulously set up a medical bed right in the front room of the family home. When the ambulance pulled into the driveway, the Avita hospice team was already standing there, waiting and ready to work.

In those final, delicate days, the Avita team took complete control of David’s medical needs, managing everything from his feeding tubes to his daily comfort with profound expertise and grace. By stepping in to handle the heavy burden of his clinical care, Kevin and his team gifted David’s family something invaluable: complete peace of mind. No longer overwhelmed by the daunting role of 24/7 medical providers, Barbara and his daughters were able to simply be a family again. They were free to hold his hand, share stories, and spend deeply meaningful, uninterrupted time with David before he passed.

A Legacy of Love and Laughter

Through the windows of that front room, the light filtered in on the people who mattered most. His children and his four cherished grandchildren got to fill the room with their voices. David had always been the rock of the family—the man with a fierce work ethic, but also the ultimate jokester who could diffuse any tense room with humor. Even when his body failed him, the spirit of the man who found joy in everything remained in that room.

Reflecting on the incredible grace of those final days, Barbara shared, “When every other door closed, Kevin and the Avita team opened theirs and brought David back home to us. They didn’t just care for his body; they protected our family’s peace. Because of them, David’s final days were filled with love, dignity, and the voices of his grandchildren rather than the lonely sounds of a hospital. I will be forever grateful for the angels at Avita who brought my husband home to us.”

On April 1, 2020, David peacefully passed away, surrounded by those who loved him.

Today, that Harley-Davidson still sits quietly in the garage, a beautiful monument to the dreams he chased. But David’s true legacy isn’t found in the miles he rode or the concrete he poured. It lives on in the laughter of his grandchildren, the strength of the home he built with his own two hands, and the memory of those final, precious days when a community of caregivers and a devoted family wrapped him in the ultimate comfort: home.

In memory of David Etzwiler and all hospice patients and their families…

Or send your check payable to the Avita Health Foundation to:

Avita Health Foundation
Attention: Hospice & Palliative Care Month
269 Portland Way South
Galion, Ohio 44833

To learn more about services at Avita Home Health & Hospice, call 419-468-7985 or visit their website at avitahomehealth.org