Carolyn Barbara Vieira-Help Bring Her Home

Thursday, June 6, 2023 started off as a typical day for my mother, Carolyn Vieira. However, how it concluded was the furthest thing from typical, or remotely close to anything imaginable. My mother left her job at Nathan Bishop Middle School that afternoon, ran a couple of errands on her way home, and walked in the door shortly after 4:00 pm. She then proceeded to get ready for her granddaughter Ava’s graduation ceremony from Lasalle Academy being held at the Providence Performing Arts Center at 7:00pm. Sometime after showering, she suddenly felt the necessity to lie down in a response to a sudden and extremely painful “headache”. At 5:01 pm, Ava received the last text message sent from the friend, neighbor, coworker, aunt, cousin, sister, grandmother, and mother that we once knew. At approximately 5:25 pm, I arrived at the house and found her lying in her bed, unconscious and motionless, unresponsive to my shouting of her name, and in a visibly poor state of health. Naturally, I immediately called 911, Providence rescue arrived within minutes, and they transported her to the emergency room at RI Hospital.

Just one month shy of her 71st birthday, Carolyn, an independent, self-sufficient woman who was born, raised, and still lived in the North End area of Providence, in very good physical health, and still gainfully employed by the Providence School Department, had suffered from a ruptured intracranial/cerebral aneurysm.

Upon arrival, Carolyn underwent a series of tests and scans, and had two primary surgical procedures that entailed 1) securing the aneurysm and 2) inserting a tube to drain the excess fluid building-up in the area between her skull and her brain. Initially, the prognosis appeared to be encouraging. The medical team was able to minimize the damage from the intracranial injury which was primarily due to timely and exceptional medical attention. Additionally, she was presenting to be physically sound, demonstrating a high level of alertness, and displaying minimal cognitive impairment in the immediate aftermath of sustaining the rupture. My family and I firmly believed that she had really dodged a bullet, and would certainly be home soon. However, our optimism proved to be premature and uninformed, an apparent common misconception by hopeful family members who lack the neurological expertise to visualize the big picture, or have familiarity or experience with the standard life cycle of an aneurysm. My mother still had to endure the subsequent vasospasms, a very serious stage in the post aneurysm process which lasts approximately 14-21 days and is when the blood vessels react to the brain injury by constricting blood flow which often leads to and causes strokes. Though forewarned about the grave risks that these vasospasms posed, its ultimate impact was underestimated. So in the neurological world, an aneurysm is like an earthquake, and the corresponding vasospasms are like the aftershock. Unfortunately, though my mother mostly survived the” earthquake”, she was devastated by the “aftershock”. She endured multiple strokes, mostly on the right side of her brain which had required the right bone flap of her skull to be removed, caused permanent paralysis on her left side, and had left her bedridden, and incapable of speaking, eating, drinking, and swallowing, thus relying on the insertion of a g-tube to be fed and hydrated. Needless to say, it has been a harrowing, physically and mentally painful and emotionally draining six months for my mother, and naturally for my family and me. Despair, anguish, and uncertainty were rampant. The biggest fear in the beginning was wondering if she would survive; well, thankfully, she has. However, the concern then became where would all this lead to and what quality of life would my mother have moving forward, all things doctors could not provide answers to, only that time would tell.

That said, I’m more than happy to report that the tide has shifted and time has indeed provided the answers. Medically, she is in a phenomenal state, as the bone flap has been reinserted, and shunts have been placed in her head to ensure fluid and pressure no longer present a danger. She is very alert and aware, cognitively sound, and most importantly spirited and motivated. Physically, though her left side remains mostly limited, she is slowly getting her strength back, and that will take time after being bed ridden and mostly asleep since June. She has been residing and cared for at Sunnyview Nursing Home and Rehabilitation in Warwick. The quality of care has been fantastic, and my mother is seen regularly by physical, speech, and occupational therapy who have been working with her rigorously. She has made remarkable improvement, her ability to speak is returning, and in just a couple of weeks, drinking a glass of water and eating again is about to become a reality. She is visited daily by me, my family, and her close friends. I have personally been by her side every step of the way, cleaning her regularly and tending to her needs hours each day, sometimes even twice a day. Letting her know, and SEE that she will not be left alone or forgotten, that she is loved and thought of constantly, and making her as comfortable and content as she possibly can be under the circumstances has, is, and always will be my number one priority. Part of that commitment includes bringing her home!

Once my mother is at the point of drinking and eating, and her speech has returned, it will time to get her home. Along with visiting nurses and other medical assistance, I, along with the help of family and friends, will be transitioning her back home where she is very eager to be. The anticipated time frame is right after the first of the year, and that’s only FIVE WEEKS AWAY. However, in order to bring her home, necessary accommodations need to be made, proper equipment must be purchased, and supplemental care and rehabilitation services must be contacted to ensure that she can live and function within the confines of her home for many years to come. These necessary accommodations include the purchase and/or installation of a wheelchair ramp, handicapped accessible bathtub/shower, a laundry list of equipment including, but not limited to a Hoyer Lift, a handicapped accessible bed, and chairs, etc. While Medicare does provide some assistance with respect to purchases and services, it is not remotely close to what is needed in order for my mother to live and be cared for as best and as comfortably as possible.

It is with tremendous gratitude that my mother (and I) humbly asks for your assistance and your generosity in helping make what seemed like the impossible months ago become a reality. The fact of the matter is, if feasible, no one can or will truly care for your mother, father, or child the way you can! NO DONATION IS TOO SMALL!!! Please Help Bring Carolyn Vieira Home!

Thank you and God bless you.