Lee Hernandez, who is in hospice care at his home in New Braunfels, has undergone three brain surgeries and has suffered several strokes, the Arizona Republic reported.

His wife, Ernestine Hernandez, said she found a therapeutic way to brighten her husband’s day: Phone calls and text messages from others. Lee Hernandez asked his wife to hold his phone one day “in case someone calls,” the Republic reported. Two hours later, he was despondent.