Marguerit, a Park Centre resident, was resigned to missing another family event. “We knew mom had to attend, and it was an event she wanted to attend,” says Jean Bellinghausen, Marguerit’s daughter. “We just didn’t know how we could make it happen.”
The 35th wedding anniversary celebration for her son and daughter-in-law would take place an hour's drive away in Colo, Iowa. Except for Marguerit, the entire family was planning to be present, as Marguerit’s son was battling some health issues at the time. Marguerit herself was recovering from a recent broken leg and was unable to walk. Traveling with her children to the party wasn’t an option as they didn’t have a vehicle that would accommodate their mom comfortably. Helping her in and out of the car was outside their comfort zone.
Jennifer Flake, RN, Park Centre Health Center, learned of the predicament and instantly took the initiative to reach out to Marguerit’s daughter. The story — and the possible solution — made its way to Margot Voshell, the Director of Private Duty and Willowbrook Adult Day Center. “I knew Wesley Wheels would be able to provide safe and reliable transportation for Marguerit to attend this special family occasion,” says Margot. “I also knew we had to find a way to connect Marguerit to her family.”
Once Jean and her family were put in touch with Kevin Conroy, WesleyLife Director of Transportation, their minds were at ease. Jean and Margot talked about the benefit of having a WesleyLife Home Care aide accompany Marguerit for the day—as it would allow the family to focus on creating memories. “The day couldn’t have gone any better. From beginning to end, the Wesley Wheels driver, Jamie, and WesleyLife Home Care aide, Mary Probst, went above and beyond to make the day special for mom, and all of us,” says Jean. “Having Mom there was priceless, and the best part of the weekend. I know it meant the world to Mom.”
“The experience of Marguerit and her family is what we are all about at Wesley Wheels—it’s not just about connecting our passengers to appointments and social activities, it’s connecting them to what’s important and meaningful to each individual person. In this case, a 35th anniversary celebration,” says Kevin Conroy. “Together with the Park Centre team, our focus was on what matters the most, the experience of the family and enhancing quality of life.”
The experience was so great, in fact, that the family again used Wesley Wheels to transport Marguerit to her granddaughter’s wedding. “We’re so thankful Wesley Wheels was available to make the memories we created celebrating my brother’s anniversary,” says Jean. “Having Wesley Wheels has made mom’s life happier and given her something to look forward to instead of us always telling her we’ll have to see if someone can take her.”
