GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Unable to spend the holidays with her mother, Pat Rapolevich only has one wish this Christmas: to shower her mother with Christmas cards at a local nursing home.
"I have a terrible case of respiratory flu and infection so I haven't been able to get over there and see my mom for at least three weeks," said Rapolevich.
Her mother, 92-year-old Margaret Saukas lives at St. Ann's Home in Grand Rapids. Worried her illness would quickly spread throughout the nursing home, Rapolevich and her sister came up with the idea and posted it on the We Are Westsiders Facebook page. They're asking Michiganders to send a Christmas card for her mother, sending Holiday cheer during a time of the year that was never meant to be lonely.
"Sometimes it feels like they're almost forgotten," said Rapolevich. "The simplest thing can break up the monotony and add joy to their day."
The response on Facebook is spreading quickly. St. Ann's is now asking for Christmas cards for all of their residents, because the holiday season is more than just about giving gifts.
"If we make them feel part of the community it gives them a reason to live," Rapolevich said.
You can send a card to Margaret or any of the residents at St. Ann's by sending them to 2161 Leonard NW, Grand Rapids, 49504.
