Each season, we recognize the team who has best honored a patient’s Three Most Important Things. These are the three things we must know about that patient to provide them with the most personalized care. Sometimes that is their childhood nickname. Sometimes it is their favorite food, and sometimes it is a beloved hobby. This team went above and beyond to bring their patient joy. Their story is below. 

“Rambo” lived a life measured in miles—long, roaring stretches of open road, the steady thunder of a motorcycle beneath him, and the brotherhood of his old motorcycle club riding at his side. Even as age and illness weakened his body, the memories never left him. He still talked about the feeling of wind rushing past his face, but it had been years since he was strong enough to ride, and the loss weighed heavy. 

Jessica Powell, our Greeneville, Tennessee administrator, recognized that weight. She and the rest of the hospice team wanted to give Rambo more than comfort. They wanted to give him back a piece of himself. Jessica began to gather a group of local motorcycle riders willing to help create something unforgettable. Within days, dozens of bikers had agreed to show up. 

On a bright afternoon, the rumble of engines rolled across the Caris parking lot. One by one, motorcycles lined up like a chrome-and-steel honor guard. Rambo’s family wheeled him outside, and when he caught sight of the riders’ helmets gleaming, jackets worn with pride, his face lit up.  

The bikers surrounded him, shaking his hand, calling him “brother,” treating him not as a patient but as one of their own. And then came the biggest surprise: a short, safe ride on the back of a motorcycle. With gentle support from the hospice team and the riders, Rambo was lifted onto the seat. The engine’s familiar vibration traveled through him, awakening a joy he thought he’d lost forever. 

As they rolled slowly through the lot, Rambo lifted his face to the wind. Tears streaked down his cheeks.  They were tears of gratitude, memory, and overwhelming happiness. His family watched, touched beyond words, as a piece of his youth was restored. 

When the ride ended, the bikers gathered around him once more. Rambo thanked each one there for one final memory of one of the most treasured and valued parts of his life.  

Thank you to the Greeneville team for the reminder that care is not only about easing the end of a journey. Sometimes, it’s about honoring the miles that came before—and giving someone one last chance to feel the freedom of the road.