Moving Mountains for Ken & Pat Kent
Donation protected
About ten years ago, our Dad, Ken, a retired Firefighter with 79 year-old knees, was diagnosed with COPD. Since then, he has slept with an oxygen tank next to his bed. He also sleeps with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) unit.
In July of 2015, Ken suffered a stroke. He somehow managed to get himself to medical care; we all thanked God. Our step-mother, Pat, was helpless in this situation, as she suffers from Alzheimer’s.
WHERE THEY ARE:
Ken and Pat live in Pe Ell, Washington, on about two acres in a remote farming community in the Southwest of Washington. The two acres of 5 ft.-tall grass has proven to be more than they can keep up with. Also, it is a complete cellphone “dead zone”, in that cellphones or “Life Alert” devices will not function. The nearest town of functionality for these is about 25 miles away. Dad must also travel that twenty-five miles for clinical visits, or to shop for groceries. He still drives the twenty-five miles, even though his aging vehicle (an 80-something Ford Escort) is in desperate need of repair/replacement. If his vehicle breaks down on his journey, he cannot phone anyone for help. He cannot walk very far, without running out of breath. He cannot rely upon Pat for assistance (nor can he leave her in place). Dad would be in the same situation if he had a new car, one that suffered something simple, like a flat tire.
Pe Ell is one hundred and thirty-nine miles away from his closest child, our sister, Julie Wood, in Everett, WA. By car, considering the traffic through the cities of Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia, the drive could take between two and a half to three hours, or more. In any type of urgent or emergency situation, Julie would not be able to respond in a timely fashion.
WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR:
In July of this year, we pulled our human resources together (from Texas, Tennessee, and Florida), and worked with Julie’s husband Ross, in an effort to renovate a house (more of a cottage) to move our folks into. We framed exterior walls, built a deck, and reinforced the foundation.
Our brother Frank, from Clearwater, FL, has taken a leave of absence from his job and spent the last two and a half months at “Camp Rossie” (the borrowed name given to the project), completing the work detailed in the pictures.
We have sold Dad's '56 Studebaker pickup and an old cast iron claw-foot tub to augment the funding, and that concludes the list of liquid assets.
WHERE THEY NEED TO BE:
We currently need to complete the interior work of the house, in order to make the place livable. We must then move Dad and Pat into the new place, within one mile of Julie’s home, in Everett, WA. In Everett, Dad and Pat would have definitive medical care, moments away. They could be transported to clinic visits, or grocery shopping, at a moment’s notice. Their loved ones would be able to check in on them on a regular basis. They would have Julie, Ross, their daughter Morgan, and our cousin, located close by, all willing and able to take care of them.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
The short story is that the funds ran out before the work did. The cottage has a large room and a bathroom, which are roughed in, but need to be finished. Moving Dad and Pat will not be without a cost, but that which will be moved is a considerable downsize. We have all tried other more obvious ways to demonstrate God’s love to Dad, and we’re hopeful that the subtle approach will really shine through for him.
In July of 2015, Ken suffered a stroke. He somehow managed to get himself to medical care; we all thanked God. Our step-mother, Pat, was helpless in this situation, as she suffers from Alzheimer’s.
WHERE THEY ARE:
Ken and Pat live in Pe Ell, Washington, on about two acres in a remote farming community in the Southwest of Washington. The two acres of 5 ft.-tall grass has proven to be more than they can keep up with. Also, it is a complete cellphone “dead zone”, in that cellphones or “Life Alert” devices will not function. The nearest town of functionality for these is about 25 miles away. Dad must also travel that twenty-five miles for clinical visits, or to shop for groceries. He still drives the twenty-five miles, even though his aging vehicle (an 80-something Ford Escort) is in desperate need of repair/replacement. If his vehicle breaks down on his journey, he cannot phone anyone for help. He cannot walk very far, without running out of breath. He cannot rely upon Pat for assistance (nor can he leave her in place). Dad would be in the same situation if he had a new car, one that suffered something simple, like a flat tire.
Pe Ell is one hundred and thirty-nine miles away from his closest child, our sister, Julie Wood, in Everett, WA. By car, considering the traffic through the cities of Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia, the drive could take between two and a half to three hours, or more. In any type of urgent or emergency situation, Julie would not be able to respond in a timely fashion.
WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR:
In July of this year, we pulled our human resources together (from Texas, Tennessee, and Florida), and worked with Julie’s husband Ross, in an effort to renovate a house (more of a cottage) to move our folks into. We framed exterior walls, built a deck, and reinforced the foundation.
Our brother Frank, from Clearwater, FL, has taken a leave of absence from his job and spent the last two and a half months at “Camp Rossie” (the borrowed name given to the project), completing the work detailed in the pictures.
We have sold Dad's '56 Studebaker pickup and an old cast iron claw-foot tub to augment the funding, and that concludes the list of liquid assets.
WHERE THEY NEED TO BE:
We currently need to complete the interior work of the house, in order to make the place livable. We must then move Dad and Pat into the new place, within one mile of Julie’s home, in Everett, WA. In Everett, Dad and Pat would have definitive medical care, moments away. They could be transported to clinic visits, or grocery shopping, at a moment’s notice. Their loved ones would be able to check in on them on a regular basis. They would have Julie, Ross, their daughter Morgan, and our cousin, located close by, all willing and able to take care of them.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
The short story is that the funds ran out before the work did. The cottage has a large room and a bathroom, which are roughed in, but need to be finished. Moving Dad and Pat will not be without a cost, but that which will be moved is a considerable downsize. We have all tried other more obvious ways to demonstrate God’s love to Dad, and we’re hopeful that the subtle approach will really shine through for him.
Organizer and beneficiary
Billy Klub Kent
Organizer
Everett, WA
Julie Wood
Beneficiary