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Patients, Donors, Volunteers, and Staff Share Their Stories

VNA Care's mission is to provide the right care with kindness and compassion every day for every person we serve. We'll be sharing stories here about the ways our mission has made a difference in the lives of our patients and their loved ones, and what it means to our staff, volunteers, and donors who make this important work possible.

 

Latest Stories 

Retired RN, Coast Guard Veteran Honored to Serve as Hospice Volunteer

For Marc Reiss, a retired nurse and Coast Guard veteran, caring for others has always been second nature. These days, his service continues through VNA Care’s hospice program, where he volunteers his time – often with fellow veterans nearing the end of life. (read more) 

 

90-year-old Gets off the Sidelines and Returns to Active Lifestyle with VNA Care's Home Health Care Services

Arthur McRae was on one of his favorite outings – lunch at a local restaurant – when his right leg suddenly collapsed. He was hospitalized for a week, undergoing numerous tests as doctors assessed his condition and whether surgery would be a safe and effective treatment. “I’m 90 years old, and I do not want to sit around,” said Arthur. (read more) 

 

Older Adults Achieve Health Goals, Remain Independent with VNA Care

The most valuable lesson Nigma Patel, PT, DPT, has learned from her older adult patients is to never take your abilities for granted. “My patients tell me ‘I want to get on the floor to play with my grandson’ or ‘I want to be able to leave home and go to brunch with my daughter,’” said Nigma. Many others in their 80s and beyond simply want to remain healthy at home. (read more) 

 

Fulfilling Father’s Wish to Remain at Home was “the Most Amazing Gift”

Jennifer Gallotta knew time was growing short for her father Edwin Page. His health had been gradually declining, although he was always able to get back on track with the support of VNA Care’s home health care team. “I knew my Dad was in good hands with VNA Care, and that my parents would feel supported with whatever they needed,” said Jennifer, who then served as a clinical services manager at VNA Care. “My Dad would tell me, ‘When I see them coming up the driveway, it just lights me up. I’m so happy they’re here.’” (read more) 

 

A Peaceful Goodbye: A Daughter’s Gratitude for her Mother’s Hospice Journey at Home and the Rose Monahan Hospice Home

Joanne Malone had a way of making friends wherever she went. It was no surprise that her circle of loved ones continued growing when she moved to the Rose Monahan Hospice Home. “Although she didn’t have much in material things when she was young, she was rich in spirit,” remembered her daughter, Deborah Chapin. “She was a strong person and always there to help other people.” (read more) 

 

Entrepreneur Turned Visiting Nurse Loves Helping Patients Regain Health

When Kelly Melendy’s son left home to join the Coast Guard, she found herself at a turning point. With her nest suddenly empty, she decided it was time to pursue the career she had always dreamed of: nursing. (read more) 

 

Helping People Learn the True Meaning of Hospice

When Celeste Lamoureux meets with terminally ill individuals and their loved ones for the first time, she knows what many of them are thinking: Hospice means giving up. That deeply rooted misconception is exactly what she works to change — one conversation at a time. (read more) 

 

Hospice RN Guides Patients, Families through Life’s Final Chapter

When Annie O’Connor, RN, CHPN, meets a new hospice patient, she often shares a surprising fact: People with terminal illnesses often live longer with hospice care than those with similar illnesses who don’t elect hospice. (read more) 

 

Occupational Therapist Dedicated to Helping Patients Get Their Lives Back

There’s one sight guaranteed to make Georgia Menard, OTR/L, smile as she drives from one patient’s home to the next — spotting a former patient on a daily walk around town when they were previously confined to home and reliant on supplemental oxygen. (read more) 

 

VNA Care Helps Home Health Patient Defy the Odds After Cardiac Arrest

Ronald Walsh’s comeback from a severe heart attack and cardiac arrest was nothing short of a miracle. Only 10% of people survive a cardiac arrest (when the heart stops beating) outside a hospital setting. Ron had been at home asleep when the unthinkable happened. (read more) 

 

Visiting Nurse Makes a Difference Every Day Through Compassionate Care

When Domingo Luna was referred to VNA Care after an above-the-knee leg amputation, his paperwork read, “Must have Elia.” There was no one he trusted more than Elia Borges, RN, to help him recover from such life-changing surgery. A registered nurse with VNA Care for nearly a decade, Elia’s sharp clinical skills had quite possibly saved Domingo’s life just weeks before. (read more) 

 

Home Health Care  

Patient Defies All Expectations, Learns to Walk Again with VNA Care

One doctor after another told Diane Bowers that she would probably never walk again. Complications from surgery to repair a life-threatening, leaking artery in her abdomen as well as low blood pressure during recovery are thought to have contributed to damage and weakness in her spine. (read more) 

 

Retiree Calls VNA Care a “Godsend” for Getting her Health Back on Track

Suzanne Lolar was in a state of despair after surgery to move her colostomy upended her life and left her at a loss for how to move forward. She soon found hope and comfort in VNA Care’s visiting nurses. (read more) 

 

Couple Turns to VNA Care for Cardiac Care While Recovering from Left Ventricular Assist Device Surgery and Awaiting Heart Transplant

VNA Care’s clinicians treat patients with thousands of unique diagnoses each year. Edward Boynton’s is among the rarest. Ed underwent surgery to implant a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) in his chest to help his heart continue pumping blood while he awaits a heart transplant. (read more) 

   

Hospice and the Rose Monahan Hospice Home

Hospice Team Supports Brain Cancer Patient in Living on Her Terms

Michael Malone remembers the day he moved his wife Heidi Brenke-Malone to the Rose Monahan Hospice Home. It was the beginning of Heidi’s last adventure — one that she chose knowing her time was limited. “Heidi was fearless and brave in everything she did,” remembered Michael. “She was very outgoing, and people loved her.” (read more) 

 

VNA Care’s Hospice Team “Simply Amazing” as They Help Family Navigate End-Stage Alzheimer’s with Nursing, Social Work, and Other Supports

Marie Leduc’s only wish was to remain at home with her family as she faced Alzheimer’s disease. It was the same wish she and her family fulfilled for her own mother, Rose, when she received the same shattering diagnosis. (read more) 

 

Family Takes Comfort in the Wonderful Care Provided to Their Father at the Rose Monahan Hospice Home and Gives Back in his Memory

One of Edward Bergman’s fondest memories of his father William was pulling into the driveway of the family home and seeing his dad sitting in the garage with the door open, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air and watching the world pass by. “He would offer us a chair to sit with him, and many times our conversations would turn to topics of his life. He would frequently tell us that he felt so blessed and thankful to have his wonderful family and friends,” shared Edward. (read more) 

 

Hospice Making it Possible for Marine Corps Veteran to Remain at Home

As Edward Hatch enlisted in the Marines in 1965, he asked a sergeant if he’d get to travel. He laughs as he remembers the sergeant’s response, “I guarantee it.” Ed was deployed to Vietnam. His tour of duty included fighting in the Tet Offensive, one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. Decades later, Ed and his wife Maureen are facing the aftermath of his service — exposure to the toxic chemical Agent Orange used by the United States military to clear foliage during the war. (read more) 

 

Behind the Scenes with Our Staff and Volunteers 

Volunteer Makes a Difference in the Lives of Patients, Families During End-of-Life Journey

Volunteering with VNA Care’s hospice program has been part of Debbie Krieg’s life for more than two decades. Those years have given her the opportunity to get to know many wonderful people in our community who would otherwise never have come into her life. (read more) 

 

IV Nurse Specialist Combines Love of Teaching and Patient Care to Help People Regain Their Health

Christine Doherty, BSN, RN, was a visiting nurse for nearly a decade when she decided to promote her patients’ health and independence in a new way — by stepping into a crucial role at VNA Care that would transform her career and the lives of countless patients. (read more) 

 

A Life Dedicated to Service: From the Air Force to VNA Care's Nursing Team

Jennifer Hurley’s patients are often surprised to learn that the visiting nurse caring for them spent nearly seven years serving our country in the United States Air Force. A career in the military hadn’t been on Jennifer’s radar when she graduated from a vocational high school as a certified nursing assistant. She loved caring for patients, but 9/11 compelled her to take a different path. (read more) 

 

Volunteer Dedicates Over a Decade to Supporting and Honoring Terminally Ill Veterans

Ken Bergeron has met amazing people during his 14 years as a VNA Care hospice volunteer. Many are fellow veterans with whom he finds a near instantaneous connection. (read more) 

 

Speech-Language Pathologist Dedicated to Helping Patients Find Ways to do Things They Never Thought They'd do Again

By the time patients with stroke, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, and other debilitating conditions are under the care of Danielle Gordon, MS, SLP, they’ve often heard about all the things they will never be able to do again. “Maybe they aren’t going to talk the same way as before. Maybe they aren’t going to eat the same way as before. Speech-language pathologists play a big role in reassuring people that you’re going to be able to do these things again, but it’s just going to be a little different,” said Danielle. (read more) 

 

Archive

Delve into more stories from VNA Care's patients and families, donors, volunteers, and staff. (read more)