Help us Bring Ann Home
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Dear Friends and Family,
She and I: My best friend of more than 50 years, Ann Shuster-Pimentel of Milford, MA, recently passed away after a long battle with liver cancer. As I learn to live life without her, I’m hoping that my effort to help her family will give me some peace and acceptance.
The Story: Ann courageously battled her cancer but succumbed to the disease in March. She didn't live an extravagant life but she did her best to provide for her child, Jennie, after her husband, Butch, passed away. Being a single Mom, she thought it necessary to purchase a life insurance policy that would provide Jennie with $10,000 to cover her final expenses. In the aftermath of being diagnosed, more than three years ago, she experienced the fears that accompany the realization of imminent death. As she began to accept that her life was forever changed, somehow in the midst of uncertainty, her life insurance lapsed in error. This was not intentional, she was having difficulty with memory issues as her disease progressed and being fiercely independent, she convinced us that she could continue to manage her affairs on her own but....that was not the case. She finally caught her error and once the policy was reactivated, unbeknownst to her, she lost the full payout that would have been available to Jennie. Instead of the original face value of the $10,000 policy, a payout was issued in the amount of $800. Jennie had been informed that the cost for Cremation was $4000 and adding a Memorial Service and other like expenses, the outlook was grim.
The day Ann entered the hospital for the last time, Jennie went into labor and she and her husband, Stephen Moul, brought a healthy baby boy, Elliot, into this world. And although we rejoiced in the birth, it was bittersweet and the joy became grief when Ann died three days later. Now, what with the expense of a new baby and the meager payout of $800, they can't "bring Ann's ashes home" nor can they do anything to memorialize her life much less attend to the final expenses associated with one's death.
My Plan: I decided to step in and assist Jennie in an effort to find a way to raise enough money to attend to these expenses. I telephoned the funeral director and although he understood, it became clear that there weren’t any options because he was adamant that the ashes would not be released without the full $4000 cremation cost. I then suggested that it might take a month or more to raise the funds but that too was not to his satisfaction.
With that realization and the clock ticking in the background, I chose to appeal to Friends and Family by creating this “Go Fund Me” page. Believe me, it was not an easy choice and I know that my goal is lofty but I want our dear friend Ann's ashes to be returned to Jennie, Stephen and Elliot as well as giving her the proper Memorial Service she deserves.
My last thought: I hope and pray that I’m doing the “right thing” by trying to raise some or all of what’s needed to pay her final expenses. In my own humble way, its the least I can personally do for my friend.
We give thanks: If anyone can help, even in some small way, it will be appreciated from my heart and soul and....I know that Jennie will feel the same way.
Sincerely,
Cathy Ann Savino-Kedzierski
She and I: My best friend of more than 50 years, Ann Shuster-Pimentel of Milford, MA, recently passed away after a long battle with liver cancer. As I learn to live life without her, I’m hoping that my effort to help her family will give me some peace and acceptance.
The Story: Ann courageously battled her cancer but succumbed to the disease in March. She didn't live an extravagant life but she did her best to provide for her child, Jennie, after her husband, Butch, passed away. Being a single Mom, she thought it necessary to purchase a life insurance policy that would provide Jennie with $10,000 to cover her final expenses. In the aftermath of being diagnosed, more than three years ago, she experienced the fears that accompany the realization of imminent death. As she began to accept that her life was forever changed, somehow in the midst of uncertainty, her life insurance lapsed in error. This was not intentional, she was having difficulty with memory issues as her disease progressed and being fiercely independent, she convinced us that she could continue to manage her affairs on her own but....that was not the case. She finally caught her error and once the policy was reactivated, unbeknownst to her, she lost the full payout that would have been available to Jennie. Instead of the original face value of the $10,000 policy, a payout was issued in the amount of $800. Jennie had been informed that the cost for Cremation was $4000 and adding a Memorial Service and other like expenses, the outlook was grim.
The day Ann entered the hospital for the last time, Jennie went into labor and she and her husband, Stephen Moul, brought a healthy baby boy, Elliot, into this world. And although we rejoiced in the birth, it was bittersweet and the joy became grief when Ann died three days later. Now, what with the expense of a new baby and the meager payout of $800, they can't "bring Ann's ashes home" nor can they do anything to memorialize her life much less attend to the final expenses associated with one's death.
My Plan: I decided to step in and assist Jennie in an effort to find a way to raise enough money to attend to these expenses. I telephoned the funeral director and although he understood, it became clear that there weren’t any options because he was adamant that the ashes would not be released without the full $4000 cremation cost. I then suggested that it might take a month or more to raise the funds but that too was not to his satisfaction.
With that realization and the clock ticking in the background, I chose to appeal to Friends and Family by creating this “Go Fund Me” page. Believe me, it was not an easy choice and I know that my goal is lofty but I want our dear friend Ann's ashes to be returned to Jennie, Stephen and Elliot as well as giving her the proper Memorial Service she deserves.
My last thought: I hope and pray that I’m doing the “right thing” by trying to raise some or all of what’s needed to pay her final expenses. In my own humble way, its the least I can personally do for my friend.
We give thanks: If anyone can help, even in some small way, it will be appreciated from my heart and soul and....I know that Jennie will feel the same way.
Sincerely,
Cathy Ann Savino-Kedzierski
Organizer
Cathy Ann Savino-Kedzierski
Organizer
Milford, MA