Rudy Ludemann came to Hospice of Saint John in 2006 with congestive heart failure. Doctors had told him there was nothing more they could do. So, he prepared for death.

"[I] got rid of the home, and gave everything to my kids and accepted that this would be my life here - I would die here," said Ludemann.

But a few months later, something miraculous happened: He started to get better.

"I believe part of the reason he was able to get better and leave hospice was as a result of his passion of art," said Jennifer Spaeth, Volunteer Manager for the hospice. Now, Ludemann shares his passion with other clients.

"He's a fantastic artist, he's a great teacher, he's a great friend," said Jim Vigil. Some clients are in Ludemann’s class for a couple of months, others, just a couple of days.

"Amazing relationships are formed out of art class. Certainly there is art that happens - but even more importantly I think there is healing that happens," said Spaeth. Ludeman’s health is not ideal, which makes his weekly volunteering even more impressive.

"This is my calling - to put a smile on somebody's face and kind of ease their pain a little bit," said Ludemann.

Hospice of Saint John focuses on quality end-of-life care, for more information, visit www.hospiceofsaintjohn.org.