Tucson Harpist Brings Music to Hospice Patients Weekly

Once a week, Jan Afonso loads her 40-inch carbon fiber harp into her car and heads to Peppi's House, a hospice facility in Tucson, Arizona. She's on a mission to bring comfort where it matters most.

Afonso is one of around 75 volunteers supporting Tucson Medical Center's hospice program. While many people see death as taboo and hospice as frightening, Afonso calls it a calling that "resets my clock."

Her harp music creates moments of peace for patients and their families during overwhelming times. "It's not unusual for the tears to flow after just three notes," she says.

Volunteer Coordinator Krista Durocher explains that volunteers fill a crucial gap in end-of-life care. "There's a lot of loneliness at the end of life. There's a lot of fear at the end of life," she says.

Each hospice patient receives a full care team including a medical director, nurse practitioner, pharmacist, social worker, and chaplain. Volunteers complete that circle of support in ways medical staff cannot.

Sometimes patients share things with volunteers they won't tell their own families. Other times, volunteers simply sit in silence, offering a supportive presence when words aren't needed.

Many volunteers, including both Durocher and Afonso, have personal connections to Peppi's House. Afonso's own mother spent her final days there, and Afonso played harp in her room daily, creating music that floated through the halls to comfort other patients too.

Sunny's Take

What makes this story special isn't just the music or the dedicated volunteers. It's the transformation of how we think about dying. These volunteers are rewriting the narrative around hospice care, showing that life's final chapter doesn't have to be faced alone or in fear. They're proving that small acts of presence, whether through music, conversation, or simply sitting quietly beside someone, can turn one of life's hardest moments into something gentler. Afonso and her fellow volunteers aren't just helping patients pass peacefully. They're helping all of us reimagine what compassion looks like when it matters most.

Now those volunteers continue that work daily, ensuring no one faces their final chapter alone.

Anyone interested in joining TMC's volunteer force must complete a background check, application, and training. Current volunteers say the process is worth every step.