Give Janette Colon the Gift of Mobility and Freedom

My Name is Pamela Prout I am writing on behalf of a beloved co worker Janette Colon. She was a nursing assistant at Rhode Island Hospital for over 17 years. Many of you may know her from her years in the float pool on nights. Janette has been known as a dedicated nursing assistant, and she is famous for making a great pot of coffee. RIH staff always look for her strong coffee to help get them through the night shift. If you were lucky enough to work with her, you and the patients knew it would be a good shift.

In August of 2023 Janette had heart surgery, and since has been plagued with numerous health complications. She has been in and out of the hospital and is now oxygen dependent. In April of 2024 Janette's drs informed her that her health would not allow her to return to work. She was forced into retirement and that was a hard pill for her to swallow since she loved her work here at RIH. I spoke with her about looking on the bright side of things and enjoying her retirement. That is when Janette disclosed that she could not enjoy anything because she only gets enough oxygen to make it to her many drs appointments, and sometimes she runs out while at the drs. I discovered that she is on continuous oxygen and her health coverage only provides so much oxygen per week. Janette explained to me that she can't go visit her family or go out to lunch or do any extra curricular activities since she has limited oxygen. It was then that I asked about her getting the Inogen oxygen system, and she said her daughter looked into it for her, and that her health insurance would not cover it. Sad that she worked so hard all these years helping patients, then her health FORCES her into early retirement and she cannot enjoy that without a lightweight portable supply of oxygen. I am hoping to raise enough money for her to get the much needed Inogen portable oxygen system. Ideally I would like Janette to be able to venture out and start to enjoy her retirement spending time with her family and friends, instead of stuck in the house chained to her 02 tank!

I hope all that read this will donate whatever they can, every dollar brings us closer to our beloved Janette Colon getting a little piece of her life back.