MEDICAL NEEDS DON'T GET WEEKENDS OFF. PLEASE HELP!

Dear Friends,

Brother Adolph, 89 years old, developed diabetes when he was a young adult. He’s always kept it well managed, took his meds as directed, stuck to a healthy diet and according to his doctor, has been “a model patient.”

Today Br. Adolph lives in our largest Marist Brothers’ retirement facility. On a particular Saturday night, everyone noticed that Br. Adolph wasn’t his usual self. Even the evening’s televised baseball game didn’t interest him. When asked what was wrong, his reply was uncharacteristically irritable.

Turns out, Br. Adolph had forgotten about his daily medication and was feeling mild repercussions. A fellow Brother called the doctor, who dictated a plan to get Br. Adolph’s blood sugar back in line. We got off easy – this time!

We need your support to fix this potentially dangerous situation. Whatever amount you can afford – whether $15 or even $25 – will be enormously appreciated.

You see, our Brothers have Maria, their treasured registered nurse, on duty Monday through Friday. However, every Saturday and Sunday, for 48 long hours, the Brothers are on their own. They have no medical supervision. The answer is clear. We need to hire a part-time registered nurse – just four hours each weekend day to make sure all of our Brothers are on track with their medications. Still, though, that comes to $20,800 per year.

We can only fix the situation with your generous support. A part-time weekend RN isn’t in our budget, and we cannot cover this cost alone – since our annual budget is already tissue paper thin. Can we count on your help?

All too often, we consider chronic medical issues that afflict elderly and disabled persons as just another “part of growing old.” In truth, most of these diseases and conditions are treatable! However, proper treatment means a physician’s care as well as diligent attention to daily medications. Left to their own devices on Saturdays and Sundays makes it difficult for many of our Brothers to maintain medication schedules.

That’s why it’s so very important that we hire a weekend RN to help out. Your support is essential to reach our goal!

The weekend nurse will be watching over and monitoring Brothers with:

  • Adult onset diabetes
  • Arthritis
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Kidney and bladder problems
  • Respiratory disease
  • Parkinson’s disease

Each of these chronic conditions and diseases involve its own medication regime, and forgetting even one treatment can bring serious repercussions. Now add the fact that natural forgetfulness, dementia, or Alzheimer’s can further interrupt critical daily medicinal timing and we’re looking at potentially grave consequences.

Can we meet our $20,800 goal? That depends on YOU! And if you think that your gift won’t matter, I assure you it will! It’s like the two nickels tucked in with my letter. Alone, the coins don’t add up to much. But, a big pile of nickels can total a substantial amount. In the same way, if all our Marist Brothers’ friends send what they can, the gifts will add up. Before long, we’ll have the $20,800 to hire a part-time weekend nurse.

We truly appreciate your generosity and could not care for our Brothers as well as we do without your partnership. To show our deep appreciation for all you do, Brothers and I would like to remember your intentions in our daily prayers. So please, write your prayer intentions on the enclosed response slip and return it to me as soon as possible.

I close my note by saying once again how much we appreciate your continued devotion to our elderly and disabled Marist Brothers. You are a cherished member of our extended Marist Family.

God bless you for caring,


Br. Hugh P. Turley, F.M.S.
Director of Development