Sharon Powell is a resident of Meadow Lane in Bad Axe (a leisure living facility). She has a medical condition called Pott’s disease. Individuals with Pott’s disease have both low blood pressure and high blood pressure due to the body’s inability to regulate blood pressure properly. In the course of a day, Sharon has to take medications which either raise her blood pressure or lower it, depending on what her blood pressure is. Low blood pressure causes her to faint, which means Sharon must depend on a wheelchair to avoid falls. High blood pressure puts her at risk for having a stroke. Every day is a balancing act to keep Sharon as healthy as possible. Sharon has been under hospice care twice. Both times she has “graduated” from hospice due to stability of her condition. She would be the first one to tell you how much she has appreciated the help that hospice has provided her, and if she ever needs hospice care again, she would not hesitate to utilize hospice services. Sharon is an avid pet lover. She especially loves dogs. Her dog, Hannah, died a few months ago. Every since losing Hannah, Sharon has been asking Mike, the director of nursing at Meadow Lane for permission to have another dog. Due to financial constraints, Sharon did not think she would be able to get another dog. That’s when the staff of Meadow Lane and Hometown Hospice started brainstorming. Through a group effort between Meadow Lane, Hometown Hospice, Smiles for Seniors, and Sharon’s family, getting a dog became possible. Although Sharon is wheelchair bound, she spends many hours making hats, quilts and blankets to give to those in need. Seeing Sharon’s efforts resulted in her being awarded the “above and beyond” aware from Hometown. Sharon was told about the award and encouraged to have her family be in attendance for her to receive the award. An appointment was made for the following week. What Sharon didn’t know is that she was about to be rewarded with a new dog as well. On Wed, Dec 10, Mike, the DON, Sheri, the administrator, and Elaine, sharon’s former hospice nurse, met with Sharon and her family in Sharon’s room to accept her award. She was then told we were going to have a punch and cookies reception to honor her achievement. What she didn’t know was that hospice and meadow lane caregivers were in on the surprise, and the dog was waiting for her in the reception area. Sharon was wheeled to the community room where the group clapped and sang to her. Family pictures were taken under the Christmas tree. The dog was then brought out, which brought instant tears to Sharon, and everyone else in the room. She was stunned to say the least. “Sparkles” , a rescue dog, was a perfect match for Sharon. She was found By Alana, the patient care coordinator for Hometown Hospice. The dog, who was a bit nervous, immediately bonded with Sharon. She gave Sharon an affectionate lick and placed her paws on Sharon’s shoulders. The hospice staff each bought Sharon an item for the dog, including collar and leash, dog dish, cage, dog bed and even a sweater and toys. Almost a week later, Sharon and Sparkles are getting along famously, Sharon says the dog is a perfect match for her. Christmas came a bit early for Sharon, and I can’t think of a more deserving person to have her Christmas wish granted.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 14:58:32 +0000
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