Lee was someone who began coming into the dayroom a few years ago when we were on 6th Street. She struggled privately with addiction, was elderly and frail, but guarded. While she kept coming back she wasn’t yet at a place of trust. When we moved to the Pavilion, she came and went, never really settling in. She became more bent and struggled to walk as she had a painful hernia. She was unable to get surgery because she had no place to recover once she left the hospital. Ami finally convinced her that she could stay at the Pavilion and have her surgery. Lee relented and agreed, and the surgery was able to take place.
Lee’s appearance is different now. She still uses her walker but is upright. Now that she feels like she has a stable place to stay, she has settled in and looks out for others. Now, when she laughs, you can hear it echo through the building. One of her favorite things to do is order ice cream from Schwan’s for everyone. All because Ami didn’t give up extending the invitation of shelter and safety, and because Lee decided she could take a chance and come in.
There’s more to the story: Lee has a brother she hasn’t seen in 20 years. She said she wished she knew if he was still alive. Ami asked his name. Lee told her. Ami was able to tell her that her that he was at the shelter just a few weeks ago! Lee cried, just to know he was still alive. Please pray that he returns to the shelter and gets reunited with his sister who so much wants to see him again.
