Aid Marlene's Rehabilitation and Care

For all of you who know my Aunt Marlene, you know she is kind, funny, very active in her church, and her community. She loves her family and her friends, and she never meets a stranger. She has been a barber for almost 40 years. She is also an artist who has painted baptistries for churches, murals for restaurants and schools, all for free! She has given painting lessons, painted scenery for church plays, worked with church musicals, VBS, and many other activities.

Unfortunately on June 19, 2024, Marlene had a stroke that has left her right side nearly paralysed, and her speech and cognition in shambles. Marlene was taken by ambulance to Owensboro hospital, where they ran tests, and then she ended up being transferred by ambulance to Evansville’s Deaconess Hospital. Once they ran a full battery of tests, they determined she had not only had one stroke, but this was her second stroke within two weeks to a month. They also determined she had multiple arteries in her brain clogged, and they could not safely do the surgery to remove the plaque without a high risk of death. They decided to treat the clogged arteries with a couple different medications, and send her to a nursing home/rehabilitation center to learn how to regain function of her right arm and leg so she can walk and do things on her own again. If the medication does not work they will reconsider doing the surgery. After spending a week in Deaconess hospital, they transported her to a nursing home here in Paducah, where she stayed for two nights and ended up back in the hospital emergency room in Paducah. We thought she had had another stroke, but it was just exhaustion and poor treatment at the nursing facility. We decided to have her taken to my mom’s house to receive home health physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. So in total she has had three ER visits, 5 ambulance rides, 10 days in the hospital, and 2 days in the nursing/rehabilitation facility. Marlene needs help paying for the sitters that come in during the day so my mom can have a break when family isn’t able to relieve her, and so my mom can return to work. Insurance is not going to cover everything, and I do not want one of the most generous people I know to not get the care she needs! Please consider giving to help my Aunt Marlene! Thank you and God bless you!

Leslie