Linda Cummings, Alive's First Patient
Linda Cummings: Alive’s First Patient
Published on November 20, 2025
Her Courage Helped Create a Movement
At just 34 years old, a young wife and mother, Linda Cummings faced a terminal diagnosis. In the 1970s, cancer was whispered like a secret, and patients were often hidden away or forgotten entirely. Linda, however, refused to be invisible. She was determined to remain present for her husband and young children, embracing every moment with courage and grace.
Linda shared honestly about her diagnosis with her care providers and Alive’s founders, Dr. John Flexner and Dr. David Barton:
“I worry about the pain and just lying there and dying slowly, it seems so dumb… so pointless. If you’re going to die, that’s one thing… but why should you suffer so much in the end? I can’t see any point in that and that’s what frightens me. I guess I want to die graciously.”
Her words deeply resonated with her doctors, who had long recognized the absence of compassion in end-of-life care and had been searching for ways to change that narrative. With Linda as their first patient, they founded Alive, the first hospice in the Southeastern United States, built on the belief that no one should face the end of life in fear or isolation. Surrounded by the people she loved, Linda chose to live fully and fiercely, right up until the very end.
Linda could have been forgotten, like so many others before her. But as our first patient, she became so much more: a teacher, an inspiration, and the heart of a movement. Through her courage and honesty, she revealed the profound impact of presence, empathy, and compassionate care. Her story didn’t just reflect the vision of Alive’s founders — it gave it life, inspiring a model of care that continues to bring dignity and compassion to patients in their final days.
At a time when conversations about death were often clinical or avoided altogether, Linda used her voice to shape the care she received — care that focused not on dying, but on living fully in each remaining moment. She spoke openly and bravely with her doctors, helping to create a model of hospice care that listens deeply to patients, honors their wishes, and celebrates life, even in its final chapter.
Before her passing, Linda shared a reflection on her journey with Dr. Barton:
“I think that dying does complete a life cycle…, but I’m not ready for my life cycle to be over. Right now, I’m in a hopeful mood. If I had died ten years ago it would have been a tragedy. I’m not going to like it when the time comes. I’m not going to like it … I don’t like it already. But it is just a part of life.”
Her honesty and humanity helped define what it means to treat the person, not just the illness. Her husband, John, even inspired the name “Alive,” reminding us that our focus should always be on living fully and with deep purpose until the very end.
Linda’s legacy lives on in every patient we serve. Alive now cares for thousands across Middle Tennessee each year, carrying forward the conviction that every life is still living, still loving, and still worthy of compassionate care.
Honor Linda’s Legacy
A gift to Alive ensures that patients like Linda can live fully to the very end — without pain, without fear, and surrounded by the people they love. Your generosity sustains the nurses who bring comfort, the counselors who help families heal, and the volunteers who hold hands through life’s hardest moments.
👉 Please give today to help every patient live fully to the very end.