Eoin and Harriet MacKenzie - A Love Story
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Help them Age in Place
Almost 50 Years ago, Eoin arrived in our lives and swept in and rescued my mother Harriet and I (her only daughter who was 10 years old at the time) from her gun-toting, explosive second husband. Today, 40 + years later, Eoin (a man of many names-you may know him as Growling Bear, Colin, or the Chief) is now 95. Despite suffering from debilitating war injuries from his service in WWII, being deaf in one ear, and almost legally blind, he has never wavered from his complete devotion to Harriet. In fact, there isn’t a day that goes by that he doesn’t tell me that he still loves my Mother today as much as he did the day he married her. Why is that so special? Well for one thing Harriet, at 89 years old, is almost completely immobile and has severe dementia, requiring Eoin to shoulder the majority of the shopping and home maintenance responsibilities. If you know Eoin, you know his strength and unwillingness to let others do for him when he feels the responsibility to care for himself and his wife.
I am sharing all of this with you because we are at a crisis point in their love story. It is their wish to stay together in their mid-town Petaluma home of 40+ years, which they built together and filled with all the things that come with a long life. Harriet is completely unable to do virtually anything for herself other than eat. She must be under someone’s professional care around the clock. There have been times when the Fire Department has been called just to help her get up off the floor because Eoin cannot pick her up alone. Between Harriet’s rapid decline this past year, and the COVID-19 pandemic preventing sufficient Home Hospice support for their care, the money has run out. We planned for their care as much as any family can, however it is the unexpected costs that are adding up and rapidly depleting our entire family’s financial resources.
I am asking the many friends who have known Eoin and Harriet over the years for $24,000 to continue paying for their home healthcare during the time it will take to process their Medi-Cal paperwork, which will allow them to stay in their home together.
Who is Eoin MacKenzie?
A consummate storyteller. A fascinating man of many passions and many names.
A Veteran of World War II, who lied about his age to join a Highland Regiment. He was a demolitions expert, a member of the SAS, and a person who traded one of his medals to have some “fun” in Cairo.
A noted historian devoted to the study of Light Houses. His Nautical Research Centre has hosted researchers and visitors from all over the world.
The founder and Chief of Clan Colin, a group of 15th Century Scottish Re-enactors.
A man who takes extreme pride in his Native American heritage.
Who is Harriet MacKenzie?
A mother to all, who always provided a shoulder for anyone to cry on and a kick in the ass when necessary.
A bohemian who settled in North Beach in the 1950s (Her posse was comprised of the poets and artists that thought Allen Ginsberg was poser).
An assistant to Lawrence Ferlinghetti at City Lights Book Store
An artist’s muse.
The breakdown of expenses:
12 hour In-home care shift $400/ day – 7 days a week.
Care Manager (because I live across the country) who is responsible for ensuring the care givers are scheduled as well as taking them to Doctor’s appointments, etc. Amount ranges from $2000-5000 per month
Fall alarm $60 a month
Kaiser premium $178 a month
Medical consultant (recommended by Hospice) $2000.00.
#mackenzielovestory
Almost 50 Years ago, Eoin arrived in our lives and swept in and rescued my mother Harriet and I (her only daughter who was 10 years old at the time) from her gun-toting, explosive second husband. Today, 40 + years later, Eoin (a man of many names-you may know him as Growling Bear, Colin, or the Chief) is now 95. Despite suffering from debilitating war injuries from his service in WWII, being deaf in one ear, and almost legally blind, he has never wavered from his complete devotion to Harriet. In fact, there isn’t a day that goes by that he doesn’t tell me that he still loves my Mother today as much as he did the day he married her. Why is that so special? Well for one thing Harriet, at 89 years old, is almost completely immobile and has severe dementia, requiring Eoin to shoulder the majority of the shopping and home maintenance responsibilities. If you know Eoin, you know his strength and unwillingness to let others do for him when he feels the responsibility to care for himself and his wife.
I am sharing all of this with you because we are at a crisis point in their love story. It is their wish to stay together in their mid-town Petaluma home of 40+ years, which they built together and filled with all the things that come with a long life. Harriet is completely unable to do virtually anything for herself other than eat. She must be under someone’s professional care around the clock. There have been times when the Fire Department has been called just to help her get up off the floor because Eoin cannot pick her up alone. Between Harriet’s rapid decline this past year, and the COVID-19 pandemic preventing sufficient Home Hospice support for their care, the money has run out. We planned for their care as much as any family can, however it is the unexpected costs that are adding up and rapidly depleting our entire family’s financial resources.
I am asking the many friends who have known Eoin and Harriet over the years for $24,000 to continue paying for their home healthcare during the time it will take to process their Medi-Cal paperwork, which will allow them to stay in their home together.
Who is Eoin MacKenzie?
A consummate storyteller. A fascinating man of many passions and many names.
A Veteran of World War II, who lied about his age to join a Highland Regiment. He was a demolitions expert, a member of the SAS, and a person who traded one of his medals to have some “fun” in Cairo.
A noted historian devoted to the study of Light Houses. His Nautical Research Centre has hosted researchers and visitors from all over the world.
The founder and Chief of Clan Colin, a group of 15th Century Scottish Re-enactors.
A man who takes extreme pride in his Native American heritage.
Who is Harriet MacKenzie?
A mother to all, who always provided a shoulder for anyone to cry on and a kick in the ass when necessary.
A bohemian who settled in North Beach in the 1950s (Her posse was comprised of the poets and artists that thought Allen Ginsberg was poser).
An assistant to Lawrence Ferlinghetti at City Lights Book Store
An artist’s muse.
The breakdown of expenses:
12 hour In-home care shift $400/ day – 7 days a week.
Care Manager (because I live across the country) who is responsible for ensuring the care givers are scheduled as well as taking them to Doctor’s appointments, etc. Amount ranges from $2000-5000 per month
Fall alarm $60 a month
Kaiser premium $178 a month
Medical consultant (recommended by Hospice) $2000.00.
#mackenzielovestory
Organizer
Mychalene Giampaoli
Organizer
Petaluma, CA