Long Story, Short:
In 2016 my Aunt Patty, Patricia McKeon was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. It has progressed rapidly over the past year & she needs help, physically, medically & financially. People have been reaching out & asking how they can help so we created this GoFundMe page. ANY & ALL donations will be greatly appreciated & put to good use for her care. Thank You, SO much for your help & support.
The Story:
Most of you know My Auntie Patty. If you’re reading this you mostly likely do. Maybe you’ve met her in real life or you “know” her from our adventures through the years here on social media. Maybe you grew up in Dorchester. Maybe you worked with her or met her out. If you DON’T know her what I’ll tell you is: She’s the best person I know & I love her with all my heart. She was my first best friend (& still is), my mentor, my unconditionally loving confidante and all-around “go to” person throughout my life. She’s always been the epitome of the “Cool Aunt”. A strong independent woman that made her way, on her own. She’s always been there for me and she’s always been there for our whole family. She’s been there for her friends & her coworkers, young & old alike...to give a helping hand, a kind word or a priceless piece of advice. She’s the heart of many groups. She remembers the birthdays & anniversaries. She throws the showers, organizes the parties & invites us to the “times” & throughout her life has always been the first to GIVE when someone is in need . I know she is going to kill me for doing this but we have to. I told her I was going to & begrudgingly, realistically she has allowed me to share her current situation. Patty was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2016 & for the last 5 years has fought to live her best life. As she always has in life, she somehow made it work. She has followed her doctor’s orders & dealt with the many symptoms & side effects of Parkinson’s as they came. She continued to work up until 2019 when she was forced into retirement after 34 years of service with The Massachusetts Department of Revenue as a result of her worsening condition. Shortly thereafter her speech & mobility really become a big issue. She could no longer drive. She had to use a walker to get around. Her ability to talk & communicate began to rely heavily on texting or email. It was heartbreaking but we were grateful to still have a way to talk & connect. She’s been determined to keep her independence & has managed to stay in her home. Fortunately she has had her good friend & neighbor, Heidi to help her out & check in on her every day. Unfortunately it’s gotten dramatically worse over this past year. She managed through the 2020 pandemic with Heidi’s help & a very small, masked, socially distanced, family contingent. Now, Here’s where is gets worse. On February 4th 2021, she fell & broke her hip. Thankfully she was wearing a medical alert necklace & got help. The ambulance came & transported her to the hospital & she had hip surgery on February 5th. She had a metal plate & 5 screws put in on her right side to repair the hip damage from the fall. She ended up with a UTI & had to have blood transfusions & stayed in the hospital until February 16th when she was transported to rehab. She was in a wheel chair but did her best with PT, OT & Speech Therapy. We ordered, a wheel chair & a hospital bed for her home as well as a “stand assist patient mover” to get her around. We also had to hire skilled home health aides to care for her around the clock. She was released from rehab on March 9th. She continues to work with her therapists & has visiting nurses that come to the house. Her fine motor skills are deteriorating more & more. She needs assistance to do most everything. She’s having trouble swallowing, eating & a REALLY tough time texting now. It is beyond sad. It’s scary. We’ve been by for masked visits & to help as much as we can. My Michael & I just went over to do a mini makeover, he cut & colored her hair & I did a facial & a bit of waxing. (Mostly so she’d let us take the picture for this page.) You could SEE how much it helped her FEEL better...more like her old self. A lot of people have been reaching out, asking how they can help, many members of our family, her friends & former coworkers. The time has come to admit it & ask. She needs help. The bills are piling up & she is paying out of pocket for all of her day to day care. Who knows what the future holds. We keep praying for miracles but Auntie Patty needs a hand...I told her not to be embarrassed I told her it’s her George Bailey moment from “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I said, “You’ve been SO GOOD to SO MANY people & you’ve never asked or expected ANYTHING in return. Now is the time for YOU to see the love & light your life has created & receive the gifts & rewards for all that you’ve done for others”. So now is the time. Please Help. Any donations, of any amount will be greatly appreciated & put to good use for her long term care & quality of life. On behalf of Auntie Patty, Patricia McKeon & our families, we humbly ask for your help at this extremely difficult time. Thank You for taking the time to read this. Thank You for your support, friendship, grace & understanding. May God Bless each & everyone of you & your families...& God Bless Auntie Patty. ❤️✨