Walter McElvenny's Recovery Fund
Donation protected
This past October 13th, Walter (Mack) McElvenny, was involved in an accident while visiting his daughter in Riverside, CA. He tripped and fell, and suffered a fracture to his right hip. The next day he had surgery to repair his hip with a rod and pins. This kind of surgery is dangerous for anyone, but especially dangerous for an 87 year old. But for those of you who know my grandpa, you know he isn't your average 87 year old. The surgeon said that he had no idea how my grandpa had broken his hip in the first place, because his bones were so strong they looked like those of a 40 year old! The next day, Grandpa was transferred to a rehab facility in Riverside where he could regain function and learn to walk again with the repaired hip.
Then he had a setback. His blood pressure dropped too low and he was unresponsive. He was rushed to the emergency room, where they discovered he had developed a pulmonary embolism, or blood clot in the lungs. The family was in shock, and incredibly scared. But my amazingly strong grandfather, managed to pull through with his wife of 65 years, Delores (Dee), and many of his children by his side. The blood thinners and prayers had worked, and he was sent back to the rehab for more therapy. Only this time it was taking him longer to recover. My grandpa has always been a very active man, working well past retirement age to provide for his family. He found it incredibly physically and emotionally difficult to stay in bed most of the day. On top of that, he was having trouble with his memory, many times forgetting that he had broken his hip at all. My grandma never left his side through his recovery, often times needing much coaxing to briefly go home to shower. But Grandma and their children made sure the staff at the rehab were on their toes every day, taking the best possible care of the man we all love so much.
Slowly over the next several weeks, his memory and function improved. He was walking with a walker, eating his See's candy, and joking with family as he had always done. His spark and determination were back, and he had one goal: to get better so he could go home with his wife. On November 29th, Grandpa was released from the rehab, back to his daughter's house in Riverside. Grandma and Grandpa love California and love visiting their daughter, but they dearly miss their home in Mississippi. Now that Grandpa is out, there are new financial troubles that the couple are facing. They need to purchase a flight back home as soon as he gets medical clearance to fly. They also need a walk-in shower so that he can shower safely. Thankfully, their son is able to do all the work on the shower at cost, but it is still expected to be close to $2,000 for the remodel. Grandpa also needs new dentures, because the ones he had were damaged in the fall. And lastly, there is the bill from the rehab and other equipment needed for recovery. The insurance company started charging a daily co-pay of $140 after the first couple weeks of therapy. So we are looking at least $6,000 in medical bills.
My grandma and grandpa have their family's support, but unfortunately, we cannot pull together enough money to cover all of these expenses. We are asking for help with this, from the bottom of our hearts, for the two greatest people we have ever known. They have been there for every one of their family members in their time of need. They have taken loved ones into their home (including myself) time after time and cared for them when they didn't have a place to live. They have dedicated their lives to working hard and helping anyone in need, without judgment. My grandpa started his own painting company, McElvenny Painters, and ran it for most of his life with integrity that is rarely seen. He kept men on his payroll, even when work was slow, because they had families to support. As a Veteran himself, he has always believed that it is important to give back to those who serve our country. So, even on a fixed income, he still continues to this day to donate to Veterans in need. In fact, on his way out of rehab, he saw a homeless man in a wheelchair and gave him money; he is always putting others before himself. He feels blessed to have what he has and doesn't take any of it for granted. After Hurricane Katrina, Grandma and Grandpa were eligible for assistance money from the government, but refused it. Not out of pride, but because they said they were lucky to be safe and had everything they needed. I could write a book with all of these examples, but I'll save that for another day :)
My grandparents are two of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever known, and right now they are the ones who need help. I am asking family, friends, and anyone who is able, to please help these amazing people get back home where my grandpa can continue to recover. Please consider donating to help ease my grandma's mind of the financial troubles it has and will take to help her husband get better. She has been through so much these past few months, and her family would love to help her focus her energy on herself and her husband rather than financial strain. Anything at all you could donate would be a huge blessing to Grandpa, Grandma, and the whole family. Continued prayers are also genuinely appreciated. Thank you so much in advance for helping to give back to people who have given their entire lives, and asked for nothing in return. Please share this story to reach as many people as possible. Thank you, and God bless!
***Please feel free to leave your favorite memory or Mack story in the comments!
Then he had a setback. His blood pressure dropped too low and he was unresponsive. He was rushed to the emergency room, where they discovered he had developed a pulmonary embolism, or blood clot in the lungs. The family was in shock, and incredibly scared. But my amazingly strong grandfather, managed to pull through with his wife of 65 years, Delores (Dee), and many of his children by his side. The blood thinners and prayers had worked, and he was sent back to the rehab for more therapy. Only this time it was taking him longer to recover. My grandpa has always been a very active man, working well past retirement age to provide for his family. He found it incredibly physically and emotionally difficult to stay in bed most of the day. On top of that, he was having trouble with his memory, many times forgetting that he had broken his hip at all. My grandma never left his side through his recovery, often times needing much coaxing to briefly go home to shower. But Grandma and their children made sure the staff at the rehab were on their toes every day, taking the best possible care of the man we all love so much.
Slowly over the next several weeks, his memory and function improved. He was walking with a walker, eating his See's candy, and joking with family as he had always done. His spark and determination were back, and he had one goal: to get better so he could go home with his wife. On November 29th, Grandpa was released from the rehab, back to his daughter's house in Riverside. Grandma and Grandpa love California and love visiting their daughter, but they dearly miss their home in Mississippi. Now that Grandpa is out, there are new financial troubles that the couple are facing. They need to purchase a flight back home as soon as he gets medical clearance to fly. They also need a walk-in shower so that he can shower safely. Thankfully, their son is able to do all the work on the shower at cost, but it is still expected to be close to $2,000 for the remodel. Grandpa also needs new dentures, because the ones he had were damaged in the fall. And lastly, there is the bill from the rehab and other equipment needed for recovery. The insurance company started charging a daily co-pay of $140 after the first couple weeks of therapy. So we are looking at least $6,000 in medical bills.
My grandma and grandpa have their family's support, but unfortunately, we cannot pull together enough money to cover all of these expenses. We are asking for help with this, from the bottom of our hearts, for the two greatest people we have ever known. They have been there for every one of their family members in their time of need. They have taken loved ones into their home (including myself) time after time and cared for them when they didn't have a place to live. They have dedicated their lives to working hard and helping anyone in need, without judgment. My grandpa started his own painting company, McElvenny Painters, and ran it for most of his life with integrity that is rarely seen. He kept men on his payroll, even when work was slow, because they had families to support. As a Veteran himself, he has always believed that it is important to give back to those who serve our country. So, even on a fixed income, he still continues to this day to donate to Veterans in need. In fact, on his way out of rehab, he saw a homeless man in a wheelchair and gave him money; he is always putting others before himself. He feels blessed to have what he has and doesn't take any of it for granted. After Hurricane Katrina, Grandma and Grandpa were eligible for assistance money from the government, but refused it. Not out of pride, but because they said they were lucky to be safe and had everything they needed. I could write a book with all of these examples, but I'll save that for another day :)
My grandparents are two of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever known, and right now they are the ones who need help. I am asking family, friends, and anyone who is able, to please help these amazing people get back home where my grandpa can continue to recover. Please consider donating to help ease my grandma's mind of the financial troubles it has and will take to help her husband get better. She has been through so much these past few months, and her family would love to help her focus her energy on herself and her husband rather than financial strain. Anything at all you could donate would be a huge blessing to Grandpa, Grandma, and the whole family. Continued prayers are also genuinely appreciated. Thank you so much in advance for helping to give back to people who have given their entire lives, and asked for nothing in return. Please share this story to reach as many people as possible. Thank you, and God bless!
***Please feel free to leave your favorite memory or Mack story in the comments!
Organizer
Samantha Sevada
Organizer
Laveen, AZ
