Family Health Care
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Your gift is very appreciated. You may send an old-fashioned check by snail mail, or click on one of the methods below to donate to support our mission and work. Thank you for considering a gift to support the work we do at Family Health Care. Click here XX to donate via PayPal if you have a paypal account(~3% is a service charge to PayPal.) Family Health Care is one
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operational and programmatic measurements are analyzed by Foundation staff annually.
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Rosie- A True Story
When Rosie was born, her mother, Karla, suffered from a low blood count. At first the doctors caring for her thought it was
a fairly typical problem with pregnancy. But, it was a time when HIV had been shown to affect women as well as gay men. After
her delivery, Karla’s doctor checked and found she was HIV infected. The doctor told her to go to Family Health Care. At FHC Rosie
and her big brother were tested, so was their dad. Everyone in the family except Rosie was found to be infected with the then
deadly virus. For the next couple of years all the family members did well. Although the medicines in the early nineties were
not as effective as now, they did extend lives. The medicines extended Karla’s life. Finally, Karla could no longer keep up with the
laundry and house-cleaning. Family Health Care had work days at her home where we cleaned, did laundry and prepared meals
that could be re-heated. Karla was weakening, she had not yet told her parents about her illness, although they wondered what
was wrong. Staff went with Karla for support when she told her parents. Karla’s parents were elderly and in poor health.
Karla assumed that when she died her folks would take care of her children. But, they did not feel up to it and asked the
FHC staff what could be done. None of the other family members wanted to raise an infected child, although some offered to
take Rosie. The Permanency Planning Project was developed
to help families like Karla’s. FHC staff located a family that was state approved for fostering and asked if they would
consider an adoption of the children. An attorney, social worker and other volunteers were recruited. Karla died. The children
were living with their father, Mike, but he too was becoming more ill. The two families met, Mike and his two kids and the second family
with their three girls. They began going to ballgames and having family picnics. The children got to know each other. When
Mike had to go to the hospital, Rosie and her brother stayed with their second family. Later, they began to stay most of the
time with their new family, and visited Mike when he was well enough. The kids had a comfortable and loving second home. Mike came to an appointment one
day as he was nearing death. He said, “The kids are calling Sally, Mom. I know someday they will call Dave, Dad. It
makes me sad, that I won’t be there for them. But, it is so comforting to know that my kids will still be together and
have a family.” Mike did not live long after that visit.
Mike died in peace about his children because Family Health Care was here, thanks to so many supporters and volunteers.
Thank you, Sharon Lee |
Thousands are helped through Family Health Care- Please Help us help!