What is the Mercy Run?

		Sometimes “Yes” is the most beautiful word in the world.
Photo: Lynn Johnson

Greater numbers of people across the country call us now to ask if there is a certified music-thanatologist who can fly to their city (if there is not one already working in their locale) because someone they know and love is dying.

When we are able to provide patient care for these kinds of situations, we call the vigils mercy-runs. These most often entail the swift coordination of schedules between the patient, music-thanatologist, the care-givers (family or loved ones) and providers (physicians, nurses, etc) as well as transportation arrangements, flight schedules, hotels, taxis, etc.

Over many years, we have received three kinds of requests for mercy-runs. One kind is for the patient who has some very important time remaining – a month or more – and the situation calls for supportive end of life care for both physiological and inner, emotional and spiritual needs.

A second kind of patient may have the more or less time remaining, is not necessarily experiencing extreme physiological pain, yet has long cherished the ideal of the blessed, or peaceful of conscious death.

A third kind of request is urgent. The patient is actively dying, there might only be a few days left at most, and the family or loved ones would like a music-thanatologist to get on the next available plane.

Under each of these kinds of referrals, the length of the stay of the music-thanatologist will be determined through team consultation. At times, I have been asked to do everything from an emergency mercy run to another city for one brief evening, the last night of the individual’s life. At the opposite end of the spectrum, I have been asked to fly to a city for an entire week and to work with the patient and their loved ones on a daily basis. When this occurs, at least two if not more vigils a day occur, coupled with consult time with family or loved ones.

Any mercy-run requiring air travel entails the purchase of two round-trip tickets, one for the practitioner and the second for the harp. The harp is strapped in the seat of the plane next to the harpist, usually in bulk head loading. Mercy-runs are labor intensive and involve much travel time; you can expect that the practitioner will need to charge a practitioner per diem (for both travel days and delivery days) and all travel expenses.

At this time, The Chalice of Repose Project can recommend the following certified music-thanatologists for mercy runs. We encourage you to contact these practitioners directly. If you do not get a swift or an immediate response from the person you contact, they may be out of town or on other rotations, so do consider contacting one of the others on the list. Each has will do their best, if at all possible, to meet the needs of your situation.

Therese Schroeder-Sheker, founder of the field, numerous publications, university affiliations at The Catholic University of America and The College of the Holy Cross, thirty-one years of clinical and teaching experience. Always best to contact first at phoebe51@chaliceofrepose.org, secondly by phone at 503-845-6089.

Linda Schneck (certified in 1998, has eight years of clinical experience, faculty member of the Chalice of Repose School of Music-Thanatology). Located in Vermont at 802-525-3224.

Sharon Murfin (certified in 1994, eleven years of clinical experience, faculty member of the School of Music-Thanatology). Located in Montana and Washington (state) at 406-728-9690 or pager 406-329-6116

Please check this page again soon for additional recommended practitioner listings of Chalice-certified music-thanatologists…