NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS
Submitted by Deana Tucker Dothage, March 26, 2024

The beautiful woman in this photograph is my mother, Alice. The picture was taken in 2019 during a trip to Oklahoma. In 2024 she turned 94 years old. From mid 30's to retirement, she was a career woman, and before that a mother of four. After she retired, she worked in my insurance agency taking on the bookkeeping and payroll. 

During her late 80's to now, she has had some health setbacks, and recently, a terrible fall resulting in multiple broken bones. After a brief hospital stay to treat wounds, she is home with me and my brother, where she has lived for the past 13 years. 

As neighbors learned that she left and returned by ambulance, they started reaching out to find out what was wrong and if we needed anything. Soon after, pizza was delivered. Next, a plate of dessert arrives. Many texts, private messages and phone calls as well as a shout out from a neigbhor's driveway have been received, inquiring about her condition. 

My son, her grandson visits every day. Caregivers, hospice nurses, hospice social worker, a chaplain, and hospice nurse aids visit every day. 

From around town, visitors and flowers arrive. From towns near and far, relatives come to see mom, delivering food, love and offering their time to sit with mom while she heals. From 3+ hours away, friends drove long enough to visit mom for an hour. 

The prognosis is "weeks" and occasionally, maybe only "days". I tell the hospice team, "you will be telling me the same thing 10 years from now because she is unstoppable."  In reality, the fall may be her final setback but she is riding out the storm with tenacity and grace. 

Professionally I speak and write about neighboring. Currently we are the recipient of neighboring. Thank you all so much for your care and concern as we work our way through this stage of life. Your acts of kindness make a difference.

-Deana-


In this 2020  picture, we are at the cemetery placing flowers on my dad & brother's graves. 


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