A Man With New Wheels

By VistaCare

On a recent warm, breezy Sunday afternoon, the Oneil family of Mansfield, MA joined with VistaCare Boston to make a dream come true. Michael D., a 62-year-old man living alone in a small city north of Boston was becoming increasingly isolated and depressed as the symptoms of liver disease sapped his independence. Mike is a sweet, humble, funny man of Irish descent. His devotion to life and sheer stubbornness has helped him survive longer than anyone could have predicted. Mike’s positive attitude and compassion for others has made him a favorite patient in the VistaCare community.

Residing just two blocks above Main Street and a bustling shopping area, Mike longed to be able to sit in the sun with his friends, “shoot the breeze” with the local hot dog man, and cast his fishing pole in the nearby Merrimack River. On a good day if Mike geared up to hit the pavement, the daunting task of hiking uphill back to his home often stopped him in his tracks. A few minutes walk may well be a marathon for Mike in his weakened and unsteady condition. The VistaCare team offered public transportation vouchers, but Mike’s dream was to “get up and go” whenever the mood struck him, ability that most of us take for granted.

Mike began dreaming of owning an electric scooter. He imagined a day when he would have his own “wheels” and feel like his old self again. Mike started buying the local newspaper to search the “For Sale” column. He made multiple inquiries by phone with no results. A friend put him in touch with a woman who had a used scooter and his hopes rose to no avail. Sadly, she couldn’t locate the battery. With limited funding and the desire for a very expensive product, Mike became more and more discouraged, believing that he might die before his dream came true. As his spirit diminished, so did his health. His deepening depression and a surge in physical discomfort worried the team as we brainstormed to find a way to help Mike reach his goal.

At Thursday’s interdisciplinary group meeting the team discussed Mike’s physical decline, his scooter dream, and his financial predicament. Bereavement Coordinator Joanne McNulty literally jumped up and left the room. Minutes later she returned to report that Kathie Medeiros, a HESSCO (Elder Services) representative had begun the search for a scooter. The mood in the room lifted as Joanne, a ferocious patient advocate and walking encyclopedia of services calmly took her seat. The only thing left to do was wait as Kathie Medeiros reached into the community.

Seven short days later, social worker Linda Reedy took a call from Kathie reporting that she had received an email from Kiera Oneil in Mansfield. Kiera’s father-in-law had died, leaving behind an electric scooter. If someone would travel to Mansfield to pick it up, the scooter was free! The team raced into action, panicked that someone else might claim the prize.

Social worker Douglas Vooys rented a U-Haul the following Sunday and transported the scooter to Haverhill. Patient Care Manager Karen Ames and RN Nancy McKenna bought balloons and pizza, meeting Linda and Douglas in the parking lot at Mike’s place. Karen wanted the event to feel like the “Reader’s Digest Sweepstakes” and we later agreed that it felt even better! Karen retrieved the unsuspecting Mike and painstakingly walked him to the van.

We held our breath as Douglas opened the van doors to reveal the sparkling, candy apple red scooter within. Mike was crying and visibly shaking as his eyes beheld the jewel inside. “I had given up hope that it would ever happen,” he exclaimed, sobbing. It was a moment that none of us will ever forget.

While our group ate pizza at the picnic table, Mike sat and gazed lovingly at his scooter. He said quietly, “I feel like I’ve never been sick.” Minutes later Mike was cruising the parking lot, getting the feel of his new transportation. A neighbor rode by on his own scooter and Mike asked, “Hey, do you want to drag?” Although Mike loves our company, we started to get the feeling that he was waiting to feel the wind in his hair. We slowly made our way back to our own families, taking with us an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and cheeks sore from smiling.

The feeling of love was flowing; for Mike, our team, Kathie Medeiros, the Oneil family, and the job that allows us the privilege of making dreams come true. At long last, Mike had his freedom. He was no longer a man defined by liver cancer. Mike was a man with new wheels.