No one should go through a tough disease alone, whether as a caregiver or a patient. Everyone needs hope, the essential ingredient that holds the human soul together. Suffering, sharing, and surviving boils down to a quest for hope, the element with which humanity obtains its existence. When times get tough—illness, end-of-life issues for us and for our loved ones—suffering people come together and share hope as one would share water with the hungry or thirsty. --- From A Caregiver’s Story: Coping with a Loved One’s Life-Threatening Illness