Kindness, One Stitch at a Time

For Maria Center resident Fannie Green, sewing is a way of life. She began sewing as a five year-old girl, when her Mom would let her cut out and hand stitch doll clothes while she got her own projects done. “She had to do something to get me out of her way,” Fannie laughed. While her children were growing up, Fannie sewed outfits for her daughters, which they wore throughout high school. “They always enjoyed wearing them, because they were different from what everybody else wore,” she said.

Fannie’s most recent project is sure to brighten the lives of the little girls in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. Also a lifelong collector of fabric, she used just a small stash of her colorful fabric collection to sew ruffled jumper dresses for the girls who the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ Sisters minister to. “I have two daughters,” Fannie said. “There’s nothing a little girl enjoys more than a new dress.” In talking with the Sisters, Fannie learned that her colorful creations might be the first new dresses some of the little ladies will wear. “The hunger is astounding too,” she said. “We don’t know what it’s like to do without. Since I can sew, that’s something I can do to make the world a little brighter for someone else,” she added.

Fannie hopes her dresses will create ripples of generosity, inspiring others to do what they can to help those in need, whether it’s in Mexico, Africa, or locally. “Everyone has a gift, something they can offer,” she said as she presented her gorgeous, ruffled dresses to Sisters Jean Christianson and Toni Garcia, who will give them to the families they minister to upon their return to Mexico. Later, Fannie wants to dip back into her fabric collection and try her hand at making backpacks for the older children in Mexico.

A Son’s Remembrance

“During her last year at Catherine Kasper (Home) she was the happiest and most contented she had been in the last fifteen years of her life. The Sisters, residents, and staff at Catherine Kasper opened their hearts to her and offered her love and friendship. Her son is deeply grateful for the care that she received and wishes all to know that our Lord has used them as angels of mercy and love, not only in the life of his mother but in his as well.”

These remembrances, published in the Plymouth Pilot obituary of his Mother, Lucille, are by Curt Heydt, Lucille’s son, as he reflected on her life at the Catherine Kasper Home in Donaldson. Part of The Center at Donaldson, and a ministry of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, the Catherine Kasper Home provides continuing care, comfort and dignity to seniors as they journey through life. Inspired by the presence of God, and in the spirit of our Foundress, Blessed Catherine Kasper, Poor Handmaid of Jesus Christ Sisters, co-workers and fellow residents of the Catherine Kasper Life Center circle one another in kindness, care, and community. Life is respected and rejoiced at all stages.

If you’re looking for a caring, spiritual home for your loved one, call us for a tour today, 574-935-1742 or CKLC.poorhandmaids.org.

Rehabilitation at Catherine Kasper Home

Joe Coury, 93, moved to Maria Center after six weeks of rehabbing a foot wound at Catherine Kasper Home. The Wheeling, West Virginia native and father of three daughters arrived in Plymouth in 1956 after graduating from Harvard Business School, serving in the US Navy in WWII and Korea, and working in California and Florida. He had a long career in the aluminum manufacturing industry and retired in 1986. He lost his wife of 75 years in April 2015.

In October 2015, Joe noticed his right shoe getting tighter and tighter. He knew he was long past the stage of foot growth. His daughter called the ambulance when he told her about his foot swelling and she subsequently discovered the wound. After a four-day hospital stay, he moved to Catherine Kasper Home for further recuperation and physical therapy.

Once a week, he returned to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Plymouth for additional treatment, which including IV antibiotics. At CKH, Joe worked hard at physical therapy with Maynard Utadye, who Joe describes as extremely professional and very hard working. Since the wound impaired his ability to walk, he’s been progressively learning how again. Joe’s ultimate goal is to fully walk again. Currently, he gets around by scooter for longer distances, and walking with the help of a walker. He doesn’t know if he’ll make it, but he has hope. He thinks losing a little weight will help. Another complication is that one of his legs is shorter than the other since he’s had both knees replaced. He also appreciated the care, kindness and professionalism of the nursing staff, especially Amanda Williams.

“Oh yes,” was Joe’s response when asked if he’d recommend CKH to others in need of their services. “They’re very professional,” he added. He also appreciated the opportunity to attend Catholic Mass everyday at CKH. The spiritual care he received, including daily visits from the resident Sisters, was as important to him as the physical care he received at Catherine Kasper Home.

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