Subaru helps drive Quinlan Hospice into its 40th year

By Laurie Gordon
Subaru of Newton embodied the company's mantra “love means being more than a car company” on Friday as the well-known dealership on Route 206 presented Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice with a gift of $16,685 to the help the non-profit perpetuate its mission.
“Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice is amazing and has affected so many people in the community,” said Chris Dexter, General Manager at the dealership. “It's an honor to do what we can to help this great group of people continue their mission.”
Committed to being a positive force in the community, where its employees live and work, Subaru has made this vital organization the recipient of its Share the Love Event for the past five years.
Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice's mission is one of nobility and respect for those with terminal illnesses.
In 1980, Julia and Joseph Quinlan founded Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice in loving memory of their daughter. When Karen slipped into a coma, the family fought for her to be allowed to die without machines but with simple natural grace when there was no hope of recovery. To do this, litigation and eventually a profound precedent involving dying with dignity was established. The Quinlans won the right to become legal guardians of their then 21-year-old daughter and remove her from the respirator. Karen lived for 10 years without the machine.
Thanks to the perseverance of her family, Karen died a natural death in her room at the Morris View Nursing Home on June 11, 1985 at 7:01 p,m. Her family members had been at her bedside during the days leading up to and including her final moment.
The legal battle for the Right to Die, Advance Directives and Hospital Ethics committees had been fought and won, and the ruling in Karen's case led to the court inviting the medical profession to use guidelines from the case in the future, whereby doctors could agree to the private pleas of relatives of pain-ridden, terminally ill patients and withhold extraordinary measures to keep them alive.
Karen's legacy is Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, which opened on April 15, 1980. It is a benediction that ensures that treatments, rights and wishes of terminally ill patients and their families are respected. The Quinlans created the foundation with their first published book: Karen Ann: the Quinlans Tell Their Story. They pledged through the Memorial Foundation in 1980 to never turn a patient away because of an inability to pay. That pledge has held through the years, sustained with fundraising efforts and the steadfast support of individuals, groups and business that have generously embraced the mission of Hospice.
“Who would have ever thought that we would have grown this much over the years,” said Julia Quinlan, the foundation's co-founder and CEO. “We have served so many in the area and patients come from out of state to our hospice residence.”
The residence was the project of John Quinlan, Karen's brother who served as project manager to ensure it was precisely what the Foundation had envisioned. Now, the freestanding, inpatient facility ensures that individuals with life-limiting illnesses, who are unable to return to their own homes, receive gentle end of life care.
Winner of the 2019 Love Promise Award, this year marks Subaru World of Newton's fifth year of support of the Karen Ann Quinlan Foundation, having donated more than $81,000. Known for it's exceptional safety ratings, Subaru offers a cornucopia of vehicles in varying sizes, styles and colors.
“The Love Promise is about making the world a better place while continuously showing love and respect to the community,” Dexter said.
Supporting Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice exemplifies what this is all about. Between November 15 and December 31, Subaru World donated $250 per car sale toward this gift.
“We are grateful to have such support from Subaru,” said John Quinlan. “Over the years, we have had community support, but Subaru has really come through over the past five years to help make our efforts possible and we are very thankful.”
Subaru World of Newton embraces serving the residents of Sussex County with excellent customer care and by frequently supporting various community initiatives such as: Backpack Snacks, Subaru Loves the Earth Recycling Program, Oscar Animal Rescue, Merriam Ave Elementary School, Project Self Sufficiency, Goryeb Children’s Hospital, and Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice.
April 15, 2020, will mark the non-profit's 40th year as the preeminent hospice for Sussex, Warren and Pike counties.
“We're excited about celebrating 40 years,” Julia Quinlan said. “We're planning lots of events to let people know what we do.”
In conjunction with the 40th year celebration comes the release of Julia Quinlan's newest book, “A Legacy of Love,” which is available for pre-sale at the Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice website.
Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice's cornerstone of growth has been the imperative support of businesses. For the past five years, the paramount devotion of Subaru of Newton to its cause has been, and continues to be, incredulous and greatly appreciated.
Subaru of Newton is located at 84 Route 206 in Newton. Visit www.subaruworldofnewton.com for further information. For further information about Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, visit: https://www.karenannquinlanhospice.org.