Heat for Sharon and the Sanctuary Cats
Donation protected
About 20 years ago, Sharon Jennings, age 74, founded Paws Place, a sanctuary for special needs and disabled cats in Minnesota. These are cats that others would consider unadoptable. The cats who have the greatest need live in Sharon’s house.
Her furnace went belly up in October when the temperature was in the 30s. She called a repairman, who found a carbon dioxide leak caused by a crack in the heat exchanger. As a result, he “red-tagged” the furnace and told her it should not be turned on and needed to be replaced. Sharon cleans houses for a living and did not have the cash for a new furnace, because a dangerous back deck had to be replaced earlier in the year.
These aren’t the only challenges that reared their ugly heads in 2020. About six months before, Sharon started throwing up blood while at home. Friends took her to Urgent Care. There, the physician told Sharon she HAD to go to the hospital, and it HAD to be in an ambulance. The doctor told her friends, “She may not make it to the hospital.” Medical personnel were so concerned that they asked if she had a living will, if she wanted them to call her minister, or to get the hospital chaplain. The doctors diagnosed her with a twisted gut and hiatal hernia—basically her stomach had moved up into her esophagus. They pumped a lot of blood out of her stomach. The stress caused her heart to go into AFib (atrial fibrillation), a heart problem she’d never had before. She was transferred to the cardiac unit and waited eight days before surgeons repaired her hernia. You can imagine the hospital bills; Sharon has health insurance, but she had to pay the high deductible. Furthermore, the required medication cost was astronomical.
Sharon has given so much to the animal-loving community! For example, right before she went into the hospital, Sharon helped a homeless family who needed a place for their cats until the family found a permanent home. One of the cats was pregnant and gave birth to four kittens. Sharon often provides a temporary home for the pets of people in need.
She has always been there for other people and helpless animals in need. Now, Sharon needs our help to pay for her unexpected medical and heating expenses.
Her furnace went belly up in October when the temperature was in the 30s. She called a repairman, who found a carbon dioxide leak caused by a crack in the heat exchanger. As a result, he “red-tagged” the furnace and told her it should not be turned on and needed to be replaced. Sharon cleans houses for a living and did not have the cash for a new furnace, because a dangerous back deck had to be replaced earlier in the year.
These aren’t the only challenges that reared their ugly heads in 2020. About six months before, Sharon started throwing up blood while at home. Friends took her to Urgent Care. There, the physician told Sharon she HAD to go to the hospital, and it HAD to be in an ambulance. The doctor told her friends, “She may not make it to the hospital.” Medical personnel were so concerned that they asked if she had a living will, if she wanted them to call her minister, or to get the hospital chaplain. The doctors diagnosed her with a twisted gut and hiatal hernia—basically her stomach had moved up into her esophagus. They pumped a lot of blood out of her stomach. The stress caused her heart to go into AFib (atrial fibrillation), a heart problem she’d never had before. She was transferred to the cardiac unit and waited eight days before surgeons repaired her hernia. You can imagine the hospital bills; Sharon has health insurance, but she had to pay the high deductible. Furthermore, the required medication cost was astronomical.
Sharon has given so much to the animal-loving community! For example, right before she went into the hospital, Sharon helped a homeless family who needed a place for their cats until the family found a permanent home. One of the cats was pregnant and gave birth to four kittens. Sharon often provides a temporary home for the pets of people in need.
She has always been there for other people and helpless animals in need. Now, Sharon needs our help to pay for her unexpected medical and heating expenses.
Organizer and beneficiary
Glen Newton
Organizer
Eagan, MN
Sharon Jennings
Beneficiary