Gone But Not Forgotten

Approximately five years ago while volunteering on the geriatric ward of a local hospital I chatted with a most remarkable patient.  She was bright and cheerful and chatty.  It didn't take long for her to tell me that she was ninety and that up until recently had been very healthy and very independent.  She lived alone and had done very well, that was, until she had fallen.

With no family and living in her own home, she found herself completely and utterly helpless lying on the carpet with a broken hip!  She called out loudly but with no neighbours living in close proximity it was to no avail. She tried to move to get to the phone to call 911 but she just could not reach it.
Eventually after more than two days of pain and solitude, this woman had nearly given up.  She was hungry, thirsty and cold, and she began to beseech The Almighty more fervently than ever to assist her, when all of a sudden she heard a booming voice. (She relayed to me that she was sure it was the voice of her late husband.)

"Do you see that magazine on the desk above you"? said the voice
"Yes," she answered in a faint whisper. She was sure she was delirious.
"Grab it" said the voice even louder.
"I can't!!" said my friend
"Yes you can!" said the voice
"take it and put it under you!"
so she tried and found that by stretching her arm up she managed to reach it and after one or two tries succeeded in getting the magazine to fall down beside her.

It was then that she had new resolve and determination, even in her malnourished and weakened state,  and placed the glossy magazine under her bottom whereby she managed to scoot little by little across the carpet where she was able to alert -with a new found yell- the passing letter carrier, of her predicament.  The postman called 911 and this dear lady was brought to hospital where she was now recouperating.

I was in awe of her by this time, I guess we had visited nearly 30 minutes, and she had become my hero. I was so inspired by her.  She told me she wasn't ready to die and that she still had a lot of living to do and then I don't know why exactly she told me this information but she did, she said "and when I do go, I am leaving all my money to the SPCA,"  adding "I love animals and that's what I want to do."

I had often wondered about her after our visit. It was doubtful that she could go on living in her own home as she was going to need more care (and possibly be using a wheelchair) although she was hopeful she'd be walking again soon. The next time I went to see her at the hospital she had been discharged.

Well, the other day, after so many years of wondering about "Super Woman" I got my answer. It was there on the front page of the newspaper.  The headline read:

To SPCA with love:  a $2.5-million estate
A decades old friendship and a lifelong love of animals have given Victoria SPCA its largest-ever bequest.
Gladys Cavanagh, a former Oak Bay resident who died last fall at the age of 95, willed her entire estate, worth $2.5 million to Victoria SPCA to be used for capital projects.
The money came to Cavanagh from a friend and she always believed she was holding it in trust and that it should eventually go to the SPCA
Cavanagh, who spent her last years in an assisted living home was a private person who had been devoted to animals since she was a young woman in Winnipeg and volunteered at an animal shelter with her mother....

(Victoria Times Colonist dated Sept.29, 2011)

This bit of advice now from me to you:  if your aging loved one lives alone, please see that they have a subscription to one of the glossy magazines such as National Geographic in case they need it in an emergency.
In all seriousness though, make sure they have someone who can check on them daily. Gladys didn't have any family but there are volunteer services that provide people to phone seniors at a certain time each day and if they don't answer, they send someone to check.  Gladys could have also worn an alert button around her neck or wrist, many companies provide a service for a monthly fee to check on subscribers if the button is pushed.   There are also many new devices that are wireless and voice activated or react to a clap or whistle or a fall (!) to turn on and call 911.   If you are looking for such a service there are many listed in the yellow pages of your phone directory under Medical Alarms and other safety gadgets can be found at medical supply stores, computer stores, security companies, and The Source (still known in the USA as Radio Shack) has something that is more for personal safety if a person falls or is attacked outside. It is called "Personal Alarm" and it is made by Nexxtech. It is a necklace and if a person needs help, they pull a pin on the necklace and a screeching alarm sounds> It is sure to bring attention! It costs $10.