She helped us, now its OUR time to help Barbara Bedell

This fund is on behalf of helping my longtime friend Barbara Bedell, who has advanced stage Parkinson’s and is unable to care for herself since 2022. ALL DONATIONS will pay for a past balance of unpaid monthly fees of $8,000 totaling $138k for her necessary 24 hour care, since she arrived 17 months ago, but was unable to pay since June 2023. The caregivers of ORCAS LOVING CARE, a licensed ADULT FAMILY HOME in Eastsound, WA on ORCAS ISLAND { OI }, have not been reimbursed AT ALL for their kind-hearted compassionate constant care and generosity taking Barbara in, providing her a safe home, treating her with dignity and respect, while attending to her daily needs; meals and feeding, bathing, dressing, medications, medical appointments, social activities, since she has no children or family to help take care of her. She is receiving very limited SSI as her only source of income. Although she applied for MEDICAID coverage 16 months ago to pay for her ongoing long term care, she has not yet been approved.

Her entire estate and funds have been depleted and she is in dire need of our help.

Barbara has lived a life of being an extremely gracious kind woman, who was always wise about her money, generous in her charitable giving to multiple nonprofit organizations in her community and to protect nature, green spaces, animals, and wildlife.

These nonprofits have benefitted greatly from her philanthropy over the past 23 years; Orcas island Medical Center {where she also served as President of the Board and Board Trustee}, OI Animal Shelter {and Board Trustee}, Orcas Center {and Board Trustee}, OI Library {and Board Trustee}, San Juan Preservation Trust, Sea Doc Society, OI Animal Shelter, Wolf Hollow Rehabilitation, SAFE San Juans {DVSAS}, Orcas Island Community Foundation, OI Chamber Music Festival, OI Food Bank, Deer Harbor Community Club, OI Parks and Recreation, The FunHouse, and Sierra Club, and privately to people in need.

Her generosity in donations to San Juan County Fire District 2 aka Orcas Island Fire & Rescue began in 2003, when her husband Dr. Bruce Bedell, a retired Ophthalmologist and Eye Surgeon from Sioux City, Iowa {where they had recently relocated from, to enjoy retirement on OI } collapsed in their Deer Harbor driveway from a massive heart attack, and I was one of the first EMT’s who responded and initiated CPR with Matt Bowden, Buddy Wright, Paul Turner, and former Chief Mike Harris, and we did not yet have or carry individual AEDs in our cars. This was how Barbara and I first met.

She wasted no time after this tragedy changing her grief into immediate action by donating a considerable amount to OIFR for the explicit purchase of AEDs {Artificial External Defibrillators } for the EMTs living in all outlying areas to carry in their EMS kits in their personal vehicles when responding from work or home, as OIFR is mostly volunteer Fire Dept. of FIRST RESPONDERS. She also made the donation that allowed OIFR to purchase and outfit AID 21 ambulance with a NEW VENTILATOR. The two main AMBULANCES are located in Station 21 Fire Headquarters in Eastsound, a good 15 minute drive from town to Deer Harbor, and other outlying areas. These gifts from Barbara continue to help save lives.

Barbara’s unwavering financial support and acts of goodwill of “giving back” to the community she loves, are now completely gone. She no longer has the ability to pay for her own ongoing care. She is aware that a plea of financial assistance is being made on her behalf and would be very grateful for any amount you might be able to contribute.

There is much kindness and compassion happening under this one roof at OLC, a good life’s lesson in GIVING in spite of hardships, let me tell you. This is why I felt so compelled to try and help.

So on behalf of my friend Barbara Bedell and OLC, and in the spirit and season of GIVING, would you please consider making any size donation to help reimburse Barbara’s caregivers at Orcas Loving Care ?

All donations will be paid directly to OLC toward repayment of her past balance $138K USD and continued care at OLC.

If you would prefer to send a donation by personal check please send to:

Barbara Bedell c/o Orcas Loving Care :

113 MICHAEL LANE

EASTSOUND, WASHINGTON

98245

Your contribution, no mater the amount, will be greatly appreciated. OLC is a licensed ADULT FAMILY HOME located in Eastsound, WA state.

Let this all be a real wake up call for the rest of us who are still in better health and have not yet planned for the "golden years" and what all that entails. Welcome to aging out in America in 2024.

Mahalo Nui Loa

Julie Remington