LUCKY SEVERSON: This is a suburb of Clearwater, Florida. And a high school project that has nothing to do with how to marry a millionaire or survive on a desert island, though it is reality TV.
(to Mr. Morris): What kept you teaching?
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HENRY MORRIS (Patient, "Hospice of the Sun Coast"): I like working with people.
SEVERSON: What they don't talk about is that Mr. Morris, Henry, is dying of heart disease. That's why the kids are here.
ANJALI SRINIVASAN (Volunteer, "Hospice of the Sun Coast"): My name is Anjali Srinivasan. I think one of the things I have learned from hospice is how important it is to celebrate your life.
SEVERSON: Anjali is part of a unique program for teenagers called "Hospice of the Sun Coast." It's offered in 16 Florida high schools; as many as a thousand kids have gone through the program since it started six years ago. Barbara Carrier is the Hospice Teen Volunteer Specialist.
BARBARA CARRIER (Teen Volunteer Specialist, "Hospice of the Sun Coast"): The teens are coming in a little bit of Pollyanna -- that life is good and I am immortal and this will never happen to me.
CHRIS GODDARD (Volunteer, "Hospice of the Sun Coast"): My name is Chris Goddard. Through hospice you really learn how important life is.
SEVERSON: One of the things the kids do is videotape interviews with people who are dying, like Henry. A priceless recording for Henry's family, thoughts and stories and words of wisdom.
Mr. MORRIS: I always go into a situation with a positive attitude. I always look for the best in everything.
SEVERSON (to Mr. Morris): Has this helped you?
Mr. MORRIS: Oh, it's been tremendous. They are very helpful.
Ms. SRINIVASAN: I get to hear about personal stories and maybe Mr. Morris can tell me something, that in his life he wished he had done something differently, and I can take something from that and I walk away with a lesson in life.
Mr. GODDARD: I like it because lots of times just during my life I feel like I am not really doing anything for anyone else. I feel really selfish sometimes just, like, going to school, like, spending time in my room, like, doing homework and other stuff. And I like to get involved with hospice because I feel like I can do something for other people.
SEVERSON (to Ms. Srinivasan): How has it changed your view of death?
Ms. SRINIVASAN: It's made me realize it's a part of life as much as I probably initially denied it. It is just one more level, and I think I am a whole lot more comfortable with the idea after my experience with hospice.
Mr. GODDARD: When you come to see the people and you see that they are not really as bothered by it as you would expect them to be, it's just the next step that is coming up. And it makes me a lot less fearful of what might happen later.
SEVERSON: The kids who do this are screened pretty carefully. Some discover it's more than they can handle. But most hang in there, some throughout high school.
NANCY MCDANIEL (Patient, "Hospice of the Sun Coast"): It started of course with breast cancer, but it has spread. I have some in my chest.
SEVERSON: Nancy McDaniel has come to the hospice to spend her final days. Along with her daughter Barbara, she has some new best friends who have helped her put together a picture book of memories.
Ms. MCDANIEL (Patient, "Hospice of the Coast"): These turned out just beautifully.
KINNARY PATAL (Volunteer, "Hospice of the Sun Coast"): I am Kinnary Patal, and the thing I have learned mostly about death is to appreciate life as it is.
NIKI PATRAWALA (Volunteer, "Hospice of the Sun Coast"): My name is Niki Patrawala. The most important thing I have learned from hospice is that like with dying, cherish what you have, like your family and friends.
SEVERSON (to Ms. McDaniel): What do you think of this project?
Ms. MCDANIEL: The girls have been perfect. They're so polite and kind. I'd take them as my own if I could.
Ms. PATAL: When we go through pictures she would tell me about her life. I love hearing stories, and she had many to tell, many to tell.
Ms. MCDANIEL: This scrapbook has meant a great deal to me. I shall treasure this as long as I live. To me it is almost like a Bible.
SEVERSON: You hear so much, I don't know what they call your generation -- that it is all about music and clothes and success and cars -- but apparently that's not true. Apparently it is about other things as well.
Ms. PATAL: It's all on the exterior, but deep down people really do care.
Ms. PATRAWALA: I feel the importance of, like, compassion and helping people. I think being in the younger generation -- it is important for us to do that because we can. And it is something that the elderly can gain and we can gain also.
SEVERSON: What they don't talk about is that Mr. Morris, Henry, is dying of heart disease. That's why the kids are here.
ANJALI SRINIVASAN (Volunteer, "Hospice of the Sun Coast"): My name is Anjali Srinivasan. I think one of the things I have learned from hospice is how important it is to celebrate your life.
SEVERSON: Anjali is part of a unique program for teenagers called "Hospice of the Sun Coast." It's offered in 16 Florida high schools; as many as a thousand kids have gone through the program since it started six years ago. Barbara Carrier is the Hospice Teen Volunteer Specialist.
BARBARA CARRIER (Teen Volunteer Specialist, "Hospice of the Sun Coast"): The teens are coming in a little bit of Pollyanna -- that life is good and I am immortal and this will never happen to me.
CHRIS GODDARD (Volunteer, "Hospice of the Sun Coast"): My name is Chris Goddard. Through hospice you really learn how important life is. SEVERSON: One of the things the kids do is videotape interviews with people who are dying, like Henry. A priceless recording for Henry's family, thoughts and stories and words of wisdom.
Mr. MORRIS: I always go into a situation with a positive attitude. I always look for the best in everything.
SEVERSON (to Mr. Morris): Has this helped you?
Mr. MORRIS: Oh, it's been tremendous. They are very helpful.
Ms. SRINIVASAN: I get to hear about personal stories and maybe Mr. Morris can tell me something, that in his life he wished he had done something differently, and I can take something from that and I walk away with a lesson in life. Mr. GODDARD: I like it because lots of times just during my life I feel like I am not really doing anything for anyone else. I feel really selfish sometimes just, like, going to school, like, spending time in my room, like, doing homework and other stuff. And I like to get involved with hospice because I feel like I can do something for other people.
SEVERSON (to Ms. Srinivasan): How has it changed your view of death?
Ms. SRINIVASAN: It's made me realize it's a part of life as much as I probably initially denied it. It is just one more level, and I think I am a whole lot more comfortable with the idea after my experience with hospice.
Mr. GODDARD: When you come to see the people and you see that they are not really as bothered by it as you would expect them to be, it's just the next step that is coming up. And it makes me a lot less fearful of what might happen later.
SEVERSON: The kids who do this are screened pretty carefully. Some discover it's more than they can handle. But most hang in there, some throughout high school.
NANCY MCDANIEL (Patient, "Hospice of the Sun Coast"): It started of course with breast cancer, but it has spread. I have some in my chest. SEVERSON: Nancy McDaniel has come to the hospice to spend her final days. Along with her daughter Barbara, she has some new best friends who have helped her put together a picture book of memories.
Ms. MCDANIEL (Patient, "Hospice of the Coast"): These turned out just beautifully.
KINNARY PATAL (Volunteer, "Hospice of the Sun Coast"): I am Kinnary Patal, and the thing I have learned mostly about death is to appreciate life as it is.NIKI PATRAWALA (Volunteer, "Hospice of the Sun Coast"): My name is Niki Patrawala. The most important thing I have learned from hospice is that like with dying, cherish what you have, like your family and friends.
SEVERSON (to Ms. McDaniel): What do you think of this project?
Ms. MCDANIEL: The girls have been perfect. They're so polite and kind. I'd take them as my own if I could.
Ms. PATAL: When we go through pictures she would tell me about her life. I love hearing stories, and she had many to tell, many to tell.
Ms. MCDANIEL: This scrapbook has meant a great deal to me. I shall treasure this as long as I live. To me it is almost like a Bible. SEVERSON: You hear so much, I don't know what they call your generation -- that it is all about music and clothes and success and cars -- but apparently that's not true. Apparently it is about other things as well.
Ms. PATAL: It's all on the exterior, but deep down people really do care.
Ms. PATRAWALA: I feel the importance of, like, compassion and helping people. I think being in the younger generation -- it is important for us to do that because we can. And it is something that the elderly can gain and we can gain also.
DANIELLE RUGGIERI (Volunteer, "Hospice of the Sun Coast"): My name is Danielle Ruggieri. 
Ms. RUGGIERI: No, she is fun to be with . She likes going to get ice cream a lot.
KENDRA POLACHY (Volunteer Programs Coordinator, "Hospice of the Sun Coast"): I think it opens their eyes[, the realization] of, "I am not invincible. And this could happen to me and this could happen to my family and I need to be prepared," and you will hear students' talk that "every day is a gift," or "I feel really good about what has happened today." Or maybe that test wasn't all that big of a deal.
KEVIN HUMPHREYS: That's what they can teach us. They, you know, she really is showing a lot more courage than I probably had to in my life in just waking up and choosing to make every day good and make every day happy for yourself. 
KYLE HUMPHREYS: You feel good when you come home. And I hope they feel good after my visit. 
