Supporting Pappou at Home

Supporting Pappou at Home

 

I have created this fundraiser to ask for your support in financing in-home healthcare (nurses/aides) so that Pappou can return home.

 

As many of you know, I have been living with and caring for my grandfather, my pappou, Stamatis Karastamatis, for the past thirteen years. Spending these years with him and helping him in various ways as his needs have changed has been both rewarding and challenging.

 

My papou is 97 years old. Throughout his lifetime he has dedicated himself to his family, his friends, and to the Greek Orthodox Church. Papou has been active at Holy Trinity, St. George, and St. Andrew’s as a member and a chanter, and as a choir director at St. George and Holy Trinity. His faith and love of God is what has continued to keep his spirit strong throughout his life.

 

In June of this year Pappou went to the emergency room and since that time has been in and out of the hospital and received live in care at three nursing homes. He has been diagnosed with heart failure and an unknown autoimmune disease that causes large blisters to form on his legs and bottoms of his feet which has greatly impacted his mobility (he is unable to walk without assistance). He has also been simultaneously struggling with gall stones which have led to infection. He was admitted to Glenbrook hospital last week with sepsis which is currently responding to antibiotics.

 

Papou will be discharged from the hospital on Tuesday and it is his desire to return home for the remainder of his life or until the disease progression requires him to receive a higher level of care than we can offer at home.

 

Pappou requires assistance for eating, bathing, using the bathroom, moving, dressing, and most other basic activities.

 

Insurance covers very little for at home care.  Unfortunately, I cannot cover all the expense to bring Pappou home and make him as comfortable as possible. Thank you for taking the time to visit this account and thank you for any amount of financial support.