Support Janet's Recovery

Early November Update:

We’re happy to share that Janet continues to make steady progress each day. Dave let us know that she’s now able to walk some distance with a walker and is getting stronger with each transition from sitting to standing. Her resilience is truly inspiring.

On the home front, Dave has been working alongside a tile installer to redo the bottom floor. It’s been a major undertaking in both time and expense, but he’s hopeful the end result will make a real difference. There’s still a list of tasks to finish before Janet can return home, but he is dedicated to making the space as safe and comfortable as possible for her.

Exciting news - CMP has scheduled the electricity installation on or before the 20th, a big step forward in getting the home ready.

Dave and Janet are incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported them on this journey and shared this GoFundMe link around. Every bit of help makes a difference, and they are so thankful for the kindness and generosity of our local community.

Early October Update:

Thank you everyone for your generous contributions and support. It means so much and is helping Janet and Dave through this incredibly difficult time. A recent update from Dave - who is balancing his time between supporting and advocating for Janet’s care, and starting to work through extensive house renovations/updates to prepare for her eventual return home:

“Janet is improving slowly. She was taken by ambulance to Windward Gardens in Camden for rehab recently and is getting better every day. Since regaining consciousness in Portland, she’s been really motivated to get better and back home. She's regained her voice and her ability to swallow, and is impressing the doctors and nurses in Camden now as she did in Portland with her progress everyday. She often has a charming smile for everyone in spite of everything.

Our house is small and tall, and the bedroom was on the third floor so I need to change that to the bottom floor. We may need a stairlift to get her up to the second-floor kitchen when she’s more active. There are many expenses coming up both at Winward Gardens for the care she needs there during a lapse in expense coverage, home renovations, accessibility equipment needed, medication, and lots of help for a while. Some things will be slow to heal and some things permanent.”

September Post:

Our friend and neighbor, Janet Wiseley, has recently faced an overwhelming medical crisis. Janet is a quiet soul in our small Lincolnville community, and is known for her gentle, kind spirit. She has dedicated herself to cleaning homes for many families in the area and has also lovingly cared for pets while their owners were away.

Whether she's sharing stories of the birds she spots with her Merlin bird app, or introducing friends to the latest all-female French hip-hop song, Janet has a way of brightening the moment and bringing fascinating conversations to those who have the pleasure of her company.

Since mid-August, Janet has been unable to work, and her devoted partner, Dave, has been by her side, unable to work as well. The following is how her partner, Dave Nougaret, describes their experience and situation.

"Janet was not feeling well enough to go to work on August 13 and ended up being taken to the hospital in Belfast where she had an emergency operation to remove a cancerous intestinal tumor, which had ruptured. A day later she was life flighted to the hospital in Portland where she was on life support for a few weeks with multiple trips to the OR. Aside from two days her friend Elizabeth was here, I’ve stayed with her pretty much all day every day for over six weeks in Portland, picking up where the nurses left off and speaking up for her on any mistakes in her care that I was aware of. It’s been overwhelmingly difficult.

”She's been very motivated to put up with anything she needs to, to get better and back home to our quiet little home in Lincolnville. She's regained her voice pretty well and is learning to swallow again and will be going to rehab near Camden in a week or two to work on walking again. Some changes will be permanent, and some things slow to heal, and it will be a long time before she'll be able to do the stairs at home."

 

She’ll be a while getting her legs back, so I need to renovate the bottom floor of the house into a living space from a storage space for us, since she won’t be doing the stairs for quite a while after returning home. We’ll need a ventilation system down there due to high CO2 levels and work on the heating and water systems. We’re having electric run in since our solar electric system is too old now. Those are some of the things that come to mind. Janet only has Medicare part A and I imagine there'll also be medications to buy. She doesn't like her picture taken, but she's looking good, and usually has a charming smile for everyone."

As a community, we have the opportunity to rally around Janet and Dave in their time of need. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help ease the financial strain they are facing. Let's come together to show our support and help as Janet and Dave navigate this difficult journey.

Thank you for your generosity and kindness.