Whitney's father was wrapped in a beautiful butterfly quilt after being cared for by Alive.
Published on April 13, 2023
Whitney Daane, Butterfly Release 2023 co-chair
Whitney Daane knew about Alive long before she needed its services. As a music publisher, she enjoyed helping arrange for songwriters to perform in Alive’s annual fundraiser, Alive & The Bluebird. She also knew the founders of the organization and had heard so many positive reviews over the years. However, it wasn’t until her father came to Alive’s Nashville residence that she really understood the difference this care could make.
“At ninety-eight and a half, my father had lived a very big life, but it was still so hard to lose him. The team at Alive made a very upsetting time for our family so much easier to bear. They prepared us for what was to come, and, even after my father died, they treated him with honor and dignity. When the funeral home came to get his body, Alive Hospice wrapped him in a gorgeous butterfly quilt which was magical and serendipitous because my sister Olivia Daane is an Aspen-based visual artist known for her giant butterfly canvases, so for our father to be carried out in a butterfly blanket was incredibly poignant.”
Whitney encountered butterflies again at Alive’s Nashville residence when she was saying goodbye to a beloved friend and saw the poster announcing Alive’s annual Butterfly Release. She immediately knew she wanted to purchase butterflies, support the cause and attend the event.
“I have been going through a season of loss over the past few years. Six of my closest friends and my father died. It was overwhelming. I was surrounded by death and grief and looking for opportunities for closure. Last June, I participated in the Alive event for the first time and released butterflies in honor of all these incredibly unique characters who were dear to me, including my father. It was such a beautiful way to remember, and honor, them and find some peace around all the loss.”
The experience was so meaningful that she wanted to help. When Whitney was asked to co-chair this year’s event (2023), she jumped at the chance to participate. She also asked her sister, Olivia, to provide Alive with the beautiful butterfly image for this year’s invitation.
“Butterflies are so symbolic of metamorphosis and rebirth. The butterfly cocoon is symbolic to me of a shroud that is cast off before the butterfly is born. I believe the people we lose are reborn in spirit. The butterfly is very spiritual to me and commemorates the transition from the physical to the spiritual body.”
As a co-chair Whitney’s main goal is to raise awareness of Alive’s services.
“I want everyone to know that Alive provides not only hospice services – in home and at their residences in Nashville and Murfreesboro – but also incredible individual and group grief counseling whether or not you have someone in hospice care with Alive Hospice. The Grief Center services are open to everyone who has lost someone. Grief counseling is provided on a sliding scale or at no cost for those that cannot afford it. No one is turned away. In light of what our community has gone through recently, there are many people in need of grief counseling and support, and Alive Hospice’s Grief Center is here for them.”
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