When surgeon Dr. Diane Wintz sat by her father’s hospital bed during his long and complicated fight with heart disease, she found herself experiencing the same fear, confusion, and uncertainty that she had seen countless families struggle with in her medical career. Despite years of training, board certifications, and a deep understanding of trauma and critical care, the emotional weight of her father’s decline felt overwhelming. What surprised her most, however, was not the grief—it was the lack of guidance. No one mentioned palliative options. No one sat down to explain what quality-of-life-based care could look like. No one prepared the family for the transition ahead.
That experience became the catalyst for Jay’s Heart, the organization she founded in 2023 in honor of her father, Jay Schwartz. Today, Jay’s Heart helps families navigate end-of-life planning with compassion, clarity, and an emphasis on preserving independence and dignity. But the journey didn’t stop there.
Together with palliative oncology nurse Kelly Wright, Dr. Wintz has also stepped into the world of storytelling and advocacy. The pair recently released their debut book, Sassafras Street: Human Connection through the Eyes of Caregivers, published December 25, 2025 by Pali Friends Publishing. Available through major retailers and independent bookstores, the book is quickly gaining attention for its warmth, honesty, and its unflinching portrayal of what caregiving really looks like.
The book weaves together the voices of caregivers, clinicians, and family members—people who have lived through guilt, grief, resilience, dying, death, and recovery. These are not sanitized or distant stories; they are deeply human accounts of ordinary people doing extraordinary emotional work. For many readers, the experiences documented in Sassafras Street feel like a lifeline, offering reassurance that their struggles are real, shared, and worthy of acknowledgment.
What makes the collaboration between Wintz and Wright particularly compelling is their complementary expertise. Wintz is a board-certified general surgeon and surgical intensivist, trained at The University of Texas in Houston, who now practices trauma care in California. Wright is a seasoned palliative and oncology nurse whose passion centers on helping patients achieve comfort, dignity, and peace. Together, they have spent years working at the intersection of complex medical care and deep emotional vulnerability.
Their work has shown them just how often families face major decisions without real information. Many people assume that having a will, trust, or basic advance directive is enough, but Wintz and Wright stress that these documents rarely cover the nuanced situations that arise when someone can no longer speak for themselves. As a result, families are left making agonizing choices in moments of fear and grief. According to hospice data, only about 22 percent of Americans have a true end-of-life plan in place—meaning most people enter their final stage of life without clarity or preparation.
Both authors have seen the consequences up close. “My mother wanted to make the right decisions, but she didn’t have the medical background,” Wintz recalls. “She carried so much fear. We didn’t know what options existed, and that added to the pain.” Wright echoes this sentiment, sharing how many families later say, “I wish someone had told us sooner.”
Sassafras Street was born from that gap—from the desire to give caregivers knowledge, connection, and comfort. The book is not an instruction manual; it is a companion. Through vivid storytelling and layered perspectives, it offers strength to those who feel isolated, burned out, or unsure of what comes next.
The authors hope their work inspires more open conversations about aging, planning, and the emotional realities of caregiving. In addition to the book, their Jay’s Heart podcast and educational initiatives continue to expand resources for families across San Diego and beyond.
At its core, Sassafras Street is a reminder that caregiving, in all its complexity, is an act of profound humanity. And through their writing, their clinical work, and their advocacy, Wintz and Wright are making sure that no one has to walk that journey alone.
If you or someone you love is navigating caregiving, aging, or end-of-life decisions, explore more resources and support at JaysHeart.com or reach out directly to [email protected]. Your story matters—and help is only a conversation away.
