donors

Archive: Patients, Donors, Volunteers, and Staff Share Their Stories

Family’s Charitable Support Honors Beloved Wife, Mother and Recognizes Extraordinary Care Provided by Rose Monahan Hospice Home Staff

When doctors shared there were no further treatments that would prolong Mary McKeon’s life, Don McKeon and his family had no doubt about what they could do to ensure his beloved wife and family received the care and support they needed in their final days together. (read more) 

Retired Nurse Heals from Physical, Emotional Trauma with Support and Encouragement of VNA Care’s Home Health Clinicians

It was just before dawn on that life-changing day, as Patricia Boyle returned home following a brief stay in the emergency room while undergoing tests for pain. She started up the first of two steps to her porch when she collapsed and hit her head on the ground. She managed to get up, but fell yet again. (read more) 

Family Cherishes “Long Goodbye” at Home with Beloved Husband, Father

VNA Care’s hospice team gave the Farrer family one last month together at home — filled with friends, laughter, and new memories they hold dear when reminiscing about their late father and husband who was larger than life. (read more) 

Physical Therapist Helps Patients Reach Healthcare Goals, Reclaim Lives

Far too often, Joanna Donato, DPT, sees how pain and physical limitations brought about by an injury or illness drain people’s sense of hope. As she works one-on-one with her physical therapy patients, she knows how important it is to “help them access the deeper part of themselves that they didn’t know was in there” to restore hope and reclaim their lives. (read more) 

RN Became Patient’s "Rock" Throughout Debilitating Health Ordeal

Pain took over Cheryl Tubert’s life. Ulcers on her legs, caused by poor circulation, made every day a challenge. At times, she found herself bedridden or forced to use a walker to get around her home. The pain would bring her to tears. (read more) 

Couple Finds Comfort, Compassion, and Support with VNA Care's Hospice

Leona Keefe found herself drawn to the Rose Monahan Hospice Home on the fifth anniversary of her husband David’s passing there. VNA Care’s hospice team was a source of compassion and comfort for the couple in their final months together. (read more) 

Speech-Language Pathologist Focuses on Helping Patients Meet Their Goals

There’s nothing more gratifying for Amber Pombo, MS, CCC-SLP, speech-language pathologist, than helping a patient reach their goals — whether it’s overcoming a swallowing disorder to eat a cheeseburger again or learn new ways to communicate with loved ones when speech is no longer possible. (read more) 

Doris Lynch Leaves her Legacy with VNA Care’s Hospice

Giving back to the community she cared about so deeply was simply the way Doris Lynch lived her life. Her commitment to helping others became part of her legacy through a bequest to VNA Care’s hospice program. (read more) 

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

Working with individuals facing a terminal illness seems to run in hospice volunteer Debbie Krieg’s family. Among her siblings and cousins are two more hospice volunteers, two hospice nurses, and a hospice physician. (read more) 

Hospice Nurse Encourages People to "Enjoy the Dash" and Celebrate Life

Perhaps the most beautiful sunrise Sheila LaPointe has ever seen was from her bed at UMass Memorial Medical Center’s intensive care unit. (read more)