When the Ohio’s Hospice care team for Gene Knaack learned that his family wanted to create a family outing for him, the care team worked together to make it possible for him to enjoy a sightseeing cruise on Cleveland’s iconic Goodtime III. 

The Goodtime III is a sightseeing ship that provides cruises and tours of the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie from Cleveland. The ship can hold up to 1,000 passengers, has four decks, and has indoor and outdoor seating. The two-hour cruise includes a narrated tour of downtown Cleveland, the Flats and surrounding areas. 

Thanks to the Ohio’s Hospice mobile care unit team, Knaack was able to be transported from his home in Strongsville, Ohio, to downtown Cleveland for the family outing. Three generations of family members joined Knaack, including four children, 10 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. With his wife, Mary Jane, at his side, Knaack enjoyed great conversation and time with his family as they toured the Cleveland shoreline and Cuyahoga River.  

Miranda Casto, RN team leader, worked with the Ohio’s Hospice mobile care unit team to help arrange the trip for Knaack. “Our EMTs, Breanna Fadenholz and Arla Neuenschwander, were so excited to help Gene get to the cruise in Cleveland so he could be with his family,” she said. “We are truly blessed with our mobile care unit team members who help patients like Gene achieve quality of life goals.” 

Fadenholz and Neuenschwander are mobile care unit specialists with Ohio’s Hospice. They were honored to transport him and his wife from their home to the Goodtime III dock.  

“Being able to assist with this quality-of-life wish is inspiring,” Neuenschwander said. “I feel privileged to care for patients like Gene and sharing moments like these with them.” 

Knaack’s wife said she chose the Goodtime III for their family gathering because her husband enjoys being around the water. “Gene was in the Navy, and we used to go camping with the kids and rent a pontoon boat,” she said. “It also was an opportunity to see downtown Cleveland because we haven’t been there in about 20 years.”  

The trip was special for the couple. “We were able to get out of the house and spend time with the whole family,” Mary Jane Knaack said. “It was a blessing.” 

The Ohio’s Hospice mobile care unit team was honored and privileged to assist Knaack so that he and his family could have this cherished experience. “Gene’s family appreciated the time together,” said Adam Eibling, program director at Ohio’s Hospice. “They made memories that they will treasure for years to come.”  

Ohio’s Hospice is a partnership of mission-driven, not-for-profit hospices in Ohio committed to a shared vision of strengthening and preserving community-based hospices. Members of Ohio’s Hospice share the values of serving each patient in an atmosphere of hospitality, respect and caring; attending to the social, physical and spiritual needs of each person we are privileged to serve; preserving and enhancing patient dignity; celebrating the life of each individual we serve; and reducing unnecessary suffering in the communities we serve.  

Affiliates of Ohio’s Hospice include: Community Care Hospice, Ohio’s Community Mercy Hospice, Ohio’s Hospice at United Church Homes, Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare, Ohio’s Hospice Loving Care, Ohio’s Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties, Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio, Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, Ohio’s Hospice of Fayette County, Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County, and Ohio’s Hospice of Morrow County.