Couple who are end-of-life care specialists face cancer at home

Forgoing standard treatment

Once the initial shock wore off, however, the couple, who met while working for a Florida hospice, decided to use Brandt’s illness as one more way to educate people about what it means to die.

“It’s what Kim and I have been working on for 30 years. The whole idea of: We need to talk about these issues, we need to get them out of the closet,” Brandt said. “We need to not be scared of death.”

Since her diagnosis with stage 3 ovarian clear cell carcinoma, or OCCC, Brandt and Acquaviva have been public about a controversial decision: Brandt is pursuing aggressive palliative care, forgoing treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation. It’s a choice made by