Mary Bird-Matern is a dear friend who is currently in hospice care after enduring three major surgeries on her digestive system. Mary has endured a lifetime of health challenges as well as the personal challenge of losing her husband, Dan, five years ago. Mary's most recent health issues began on February 26, 2026, and each emergency surgery brought its own set of complications, making her recovery even more challenging.

Her situation is made even more urgent by the responsibilities she still carries. Though Mary has health insurance, her income has been severely impacted by the fact that she has been unable to work for over nine weeks. Now, as she faces this difficult chapter, Mary does not have life insurance to cover her end-of-life expenses. She also has a mortgage, utility, and other miscellaneous bills that need to be paid, and she is deeply devoted to her four cats. Without financial support, it will be incredibly difficult for her family to maintain her home and ensure her four cats, Clarence, Norman, Martini, and George, are looked after while this transition is made from earth to heaven.

We are reaching out to our community of friends for help. Any contribution, no matter the size, will go directly toward keeping Mary in her home, providing for her beloved cats, and helping with her end of life expenses. Thank you in advance for your kindness and support—it means the world to Mary and all who care about her. To quote It's a Wonderful Life, "No man is a failure who has friends."