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• Helen
Helen
was our first care recipient, registered May 7th, 2002 and was 89 years old. When she came to the program, she was living with and caring for her adult Down Syndrome son. Her daughter lives in North Carolina and visits 1-2x a year. Over the years Faith in Action volunteers provided transportation for her, shopped for her when she was ill or could not leave her son, mowed her grass and raked her leaves, spring cleaned her house, scraped and painted her porch, and called and visited her.
Late in 2008, her son developed serious health problems and was in and out of the hospital. Faith in Action took Helen to visit her son in the hospital. In 2009, Helen’s breast cancer reoccurred and she was facing surgery and treatments and her son had to be moved to a nursing home because she was not able to care for her son. Our volunteers took Helen to her medical appointments and treatment and to visit her son at the nursing home.
Later, when Helen’s son reached critical condition, a volunteer sat with her and was with her when her son passed away. Helen made the decision to move into assisted living and one of our volunteers helped her find a buyer for her home and car. Our volunteers continue to take Helen to her Dr. appointments and visit her in her new assisted living home.
Circumstances change often for care recipients and Faith in Action is called on to change and upgrade services. Our volunteers become family and several recipients have asked us if they can “adopt” the volunteerher lifestyle.
• Larry
Larry was a 64 year old disabled man who could not read or write and living alone in Section 8 housing. He developed a condition called “shark foot” and needed to go to Pittsburgh to a specialist. Excela Health had exhausted all reasonable means for him to go to Pittsburgh and contacted Laurel Faith in Action through the “hospital to home program.” His appointment was at Mercy Hospital at 8:30 a.m. in rush hour and he said he would just take a cab on the day before and wait in the lobby all night because Access/transit could not get him there for the early appointment. Rob, a very special volunteer, offered to take Larry, and six months from the first appointment, Rob took Larry to Mercy Hospital for foot surgery and back home and then back to Pittsburgh where Larry received therapy and started a series of appointments to get fitted for an artificial foot.
Today, Larry is pain free and is adjusting well to his artificial foot. Larry is overwhelmed by the selfless time and interest that Rob gave to him. Rob, too, has found enrichment in his retirement years. Rob not only helped someone in need, but he was able to help someone in dire straits who had nowhere to turn. Rob gave from the heart, and with grace and his kindness, not only touched Larry’s life, but the lives of the Laurel Faith in Action staff as well. He is our hero.
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