We are fundraising for Isaiah to help him pay for his nursing school education in Arizona.

As you all know, this has been a difficult year for the family of Dennis Denning. He fought a long, hard battle after suffering a stroke on January 18th but he gave up the fight on July 22nd. We miss him so much! So many of you have asked what they could do to help us, and there isn’t very much that we have needed. We do have a project that we wish to support, so if you would like to help, please read the following.

After several weeks in intensive care and special care, Dennis was transferred to the Surprise Health and Rehabilitation Center in Surprise, Arizona, where he spent the last four months of his life. Because the staff there is consistently scheduled to care for the same patients, he had great continuity of care. One of those caregivers, Isaiah Bulerin, a certified nursing assistant (CNA), was especially notable. He was very caring, gentle, and compassionate in his care of Dennis. He kept us well informed about the plan for each day so we knew what to expect, and he always provided a report from the night shift about how things went in our absence. He was observant and reported any potential problems to the nurse assigned with him.

Isaiah started working at Surprise Health and Rehab three years ago where they helped him get his nursing assistant certification and he now serves as a mentor for new CNAs. Isaiah is a hard worker, seldom taking a break, and he is also a good team member, always willing to help his co-workers.

As we got to know Isaiah, we learned that he wants to become a registered nurse. He is currently finishing up his pre-requisites but plans to attend Arizona State University for his nursing degree. While he enjoys working at Surprise Health, Isaiah is also considering emergency or intensive care nursing or wound care. Travel nursing also appeals to him, so we may someday see him in Minnesota!

In honor of the excellent care that he provided for Dennis, we hope to help fund Isaiah’s continuing education in nursing. (We also recognize the current nursing shortage and want to make a contribution.) Our goal is to raise $5000 to help defray some of his expenses and your support will help.

Please donate to this fundraiser and share it to reach a wider audience.