From Haircut to Hugs
As a VNA Hospice patient and Navy veteran, Steve struggled daily with his illness. VNA nurses caring for Steve learned that one of the “luxuries” he missed treating himself to was a straight razor shave, complete with hot towel service. The nurses sprang into action through the VNA’s Christmas for the Elderly program, reaching out to a local barber who provided just that service. Todd Carpenter, owner of South Shore Shaving Company in Valparaiso and a veteran himself, gave Steve a shave and threw in a haircut, too. Because Steve could no longer drive, InHealth Integrated Care, a local ambulance service, gave him a lift to the barber shop.
During the haircut, Steve and Todd exchanged stories of their days in the service. Steve even joked, “I’m a sailor; this is what I get for trusting a Marine with my hair.” At the end of Steve’s shave, the heartfelt handshake and hug between veterans brought the VNA nurses to tears. Thanks to the generosity of our community and donors like you, Morrow had a smile on his face and a spring to his step—something his nurses hadn’t seen in a while.
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