Reflections from Families

"Lara has been an invaluable help to my terminally ill sister and our family. While the local hospice has, for the most part, kept her out of physical pain through medication, they have not had the resources or skills to truly address her emotional needs and anxiety about dying. Lara has been instrumental in navigating my sister (and us) with emotional, spiritual and practical assistance, helping make the dying process as peaceful and dignified as possible. Lara has also been our lifeline as our eyes on the ground; helping us manage care and one-off projects so that we have been able to keep my sister in her own home (no family lives locally) during this process. I highly recommend her to any family who's dealing with end-of-life care; Lara is truly a Florida angel!"

"Living in NY while my 98 year old grandmother was in hospice in Florida was very challenging for me and the entire family. Finding Lara was a godsend. From our first interaction I knew she was the perfect person to meet with my grandma and her caretaker and bring calm, joy and peace into the house. I can’t even begin to explain the comfort I felt knowing Lara was watching over them and communicating her experience with me. We learned so much about the process of dying, what to expect and ways we can provide gentle support for my grandma. I am forever grateful for Lara and all the support she provided not only for my grandmother but for her main caretaker, my aunt. We just celebrated my grandmas life and Lara joined us. She made the most beautiful card that made us all smile, replicating my grandmas favorite doll via watercolor. I always knew Lara was listening with intention and acting with empathy and wow, it was worth every penny!!! Thank you Lara for making the end of my grandmas life peaceful."

"I'd been seeking compassionate end of life comfort for my dying partner. The hospice care service had no one available which was disappointing to say the least. They rely on volunteers unfortunately and had no volunteers. I persevered and found a local Florida End-of-Life Doula (Lara Acemyan). This experience was new to me but the best thing I could have done for my loved one. She visited him in the hospital twice. I asked her to bring a dog or cat...as he loved animals, especially cats. She brought her cat, Niko. I got special permission from the doctor in the hospice unit. The doula spoke with him for 1 hour...brought him relaxation and peace of mind. He was mentally in comfort...relaxed. And, he'd made a new friend, Niko in the hospital of all places. It was truly his last moments of joy. He was so surprised and happy...no worries...seemed to forget he was ill. He was so thankful, smiling and happy as he petted Niko. It did wonders for me to see him smiling and happy. He died one week later...as we'd expected. After using a doula, I can't imagine not using a doula. After he passed, she followed up and kept in touch with me... offering and providing me encouragement, guidance and direction when needed...in a compassionate way. The doula goes above and beyond that which a hospice service is able to provide. I will use one for myself when the time arrives. Thank you to the "Doulas" of the world!"

"We worked with Lara for the recent passing of our beloved aunt. We are a very spiritual family and Lara worked closely with us to ensure our aunt’s spiritual, emotional, and physical health was considered carefully during her end of life. I could not imagine doing this without her. Both my sister and I live out of state and wanted to have someone with our aunt in the last moments. I have never walked a family member through the end of their days and I will always hire a doula moving forward. If you are considering a death doula to support your family, look no further."

"Lara has been such an incredible resource to my family as we navigated not only losing our mother but also our grandmother 8 short weeks later. She helped us plan and lead a beautiful memorial service for my mother that my sister and I just would not have had the capacity to pull off without her and she was patient and gentle with us, especially as I've been pretty much catatonic throughout all that has happened. I'm really grateful to have been able to honor my mother in such a way and certainly would not have been able to do that without Lara. She's also been a wonderful grief counselor to my sister while I've continued working with my own therapist and has been there for both of us in the ways we both needed. It's an incredibly difficult season to have to navigate and it truly made all the difference having her to guide us through."

"Five stars aren’t even enough to leave a positive review for Lara. I have had the privilege of getting to know her over the last several months and what more can I say. She’s become my angel. She’s beyond magnificent in every aspect. Her compassion and kindness is so graceful and she’s completely amazing with my care. I’m experiencing a time in my life that is uncomfortable to say the least, though Lara offers suggestions that remind me of how much good life I have left. She is just an incredible woman and she’s not only an excellent doula, I’m now proud to call her my friend. I highly recommend her. I promise you won’t be disappointed. She’s truly an angel."

"Lara helped my husband and I while my son was struggling with a very aggressive cancer. Losing an only child is devastating and we needed someone with the tools and experience to help us through this difficult period in our lives. Lara's kindness and skills helped us to navigate through these troubling times with courage, faith, and love. We would highly recommend employing her services for peace of mind and to help heal the heart."

"When we realized that our mom was not going to pull through after a massive stroke, Lara came to the hospital and really set the mood of the room. It was a very smooth end of a beautiful life for Kate. Lara knows just what to say to create a sense of calm and love in the room. We had the chance to give Kate permission to pass on and it was a beautiful very calm process."

"My brother and I hired Lara to support our mom. We live out of state and Lara has been there for mom in person visiting her weekly. Mom likes her so much and enjoys her visits. Lara helps mom with whatever Mom needs or wants. She has certainly been there to listen to mom with tremendous degree of compassion, and has been able to talk to mom about end of life. They talk about mom’s feelings and additionally worked with her on a plan of what she wants. But she also helps mom with daily tasks that are too difficult for mom to do on her own anymore. Lara even made her cupcakes for her birthday recently! She has been such a great source of comfort for mom all while making sure to consistently communicate with my brother and I. She always checks things out with us ahead of time. We are so lucky and grateful to have found her."

"My husband and I lost our only daughter to cancer on Easter Sunday. Although our family and friends have given us much love and support, the grief has been overwhelming. I am so thankful that I had the courage to reach out to Florida AngelCare and have the opportunity to work with my counselor Lara. She has provided me with the support, kindness and experienced guidance I have needed to help me through this wilderness of grief and loss for my beautiful daughter."

"I had the great pleasure of meeting Lara when she came to visit my 96-year-old cousins, Aaron and Edith, while I served as their healthcare agent. Immediately, I knew Lara's dedication and personality was a perfect fit for them. As an artist, my cousin Edith had a connection with Lara and sharing her painting was the ultimate gift of gratitude. Having traveled the world, Aaron and Edith enjoyed listening to Lara's experiences of her travels. Aaron and Edith loved music and animals. Lara always came to the visits prepared with music and or her beloved pet Bella. Up until the end, Lara continued to visit even when their abilities diminished even sitting with Aaron during the live stream of Edith's funeral. What an amazing thoughtful gesture this was. To this day, Lara continues to be a support for me checking in periodically. I cannot express my gratefulness to her for the time she spent with Aaron and Edith through their end of life journey. She was there when I couldn't be.💕"