Julia Duane Quinlan, CEO, and Co-founder of Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice co-wrote the international best-seller "Karen Ann - The Quinlans Tell Their Story," (Doubleday). She followed that with her poignant, spiritual memoir, "My Joy, My Sorrow," (St. Anthony Messenger Press).
Her newest publication is "Legacy of Love - A Celebration of Life." In it she share her personal story of how Karen's life became a legacy of love. "The idea for the book took root around he holidays in 2006," said Quinlan. "It was the tenth anniversary of my husband Joe's death. For reasons that I cannot explain, I found hat I was reliving my husband's hospice experience. It was no a tearful experience. it was somewhat of a comfort; I felt a closeness that had been absent for a time."
During her 40 years of involvement with hospice, Quinlan has been a national speaker who has contributed to the advance of the hospice philosophy and to the cause of patient rights. Julia is well known locally and nationally, and has spoken at conferences across the county on ethics, end-of-life care, hospice and the historic importance of the Quinlan landmark decision.
Her life as a wife and mother had been quite normal up until the fateful night the Quinlans' received a phone all at 2:00 a.m. advising them that their daughter Karen Ann was in a coma.
From hat time forward, Julia Quinlan has tirelessly dedicated herself to the cause of hospice and make sure he terminally ill had the care they need by form the Karen Ann Quinlan Memorial Foundation and then on April 15, 1980, the Center of Hope Hospice, now name Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice opened its doors to Sussex County and the surrounding community.