It will probably come as a complete surprise to most of you to learn that my dear sister, Melodie, has quietly battled multiple strokes and been diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure this past year. Since she and Mike are not the type to burden anyone, her challenge has not been a secret, it was just not public knowledge to protect the privacy of the family and allow Melodie to fight the odds with all of the power she could muster up. After the first stroke in February, she was in the ICU in Hamilton in a coma and for a few months thereafter she remained on various means of Life Support. We are truly grateful that today, by the grace of God, her sheer will and determination to live and Mike’s unselfish dedication, Mel is on the road to recovery with the temporary loss of mobility in her left arm and leg. While her family has been there as constant support for her, no one could have imagined the numerous challenges she and Mike would face on this long and debilitating journey once she was sent home to rehabilitate. They gave up on her rehabilitation in the hospital and she was discharged with unfulfilled promises of ongoing support from our health care. When she was released, it was with the promise that Mike would be granted four, two-person visits a day due to her immobility. In actuality, he currently receives one visit from a single PSW, who claims she is told that her job is to "assist Mike", with the possibility of a second visit if they don't cancel, which is more often than not. This has put a huge strain on both of them and requires a lot of unexpected personal time and expense dedicated to her recovery so she can thrive at home given her restraints. Mike has been her rock the entire time and has not left her side unless it was to make arrangements for mobility equipment or to prepare their home by making adjustments such as wider doors, lifts and ramps. He has been forced to give up his job and like an angel, gives his time to care for Melodie 24/7 without a single mention of any hardship. He dedicates everything he has to her recovery from the physical strength necessary to assist her with mobility to preparing meals, keeping groceries and supplies in the house, filling prescriptions and administering meds, doctor's appointments, constant laundry...the list goes on. Mike currently sleeps on the floor beside her bed so that he is readily available to care for her throughout the night. Due to the limited space and the medical equipment that Mel needs in her room, it is the only option for now. Although it warms my heart, at the same time it saddens me to witness this loyalty and dedication to my sister and for Mel, this is her biggest heartbreak, over and above her own condition. Since the stroke, she is very sensitive and is easily brought to tears when she thinks about the sacrifices that her husband makes for her every minute of his day and watching him sleep on the floor just breaks her heart. The struggle has been to figure out how it would be possible for Mike to sleep in a bed in the same room with her while still accommodating the hydraulics required for Mel to be transported. There is an option for a split bed equipped with hydraulics so they could both reside together but of course, they come with a very high ticket attached. Mike has been a hero for my sister which I'm sure is exhausting and certainly must already be financially overwhelming so I am reaching out with a humble heart to try to raise money to help purchase that split hydraulic bed and perhaps help relieve some of the financial pressure associated with Mel's care and rehabilitation. With extreme gratitude I, along with the entire family, am sincerely grateful for any support for Melodie and her true hero however, it is important to us also that no one feels any obligation.
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