For Marie, the transformation has been equally profound. “I know he’s safe,” she says. “I can run errands; I can go to the gym or read a book. I can just rest.” That respite — the ability to be Marie again, not just “the caregiver” — is priceless. “You lose yourself when someone you love has dementia,” she explains. “This place gives a piece of me back.” The Hughes family has now been part of the Desert Mission community long enough that staff members know their story, their children, their worries and their hopes — including Kevin’s deepest wish: to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this August. “This place gave us hope again,” Marie says. Programs like Adult Day Health Care at HonorHealth Desert Mission exist because donors choose to invest in people at some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. “You can’t put a price on dignity,” Marie says. “And you can’t put a price on lifting that weight off a caregiver’s shoulders.” Because of donor support, Kevin found friendship, purpose and joy again. Because of donor support, Marie found relief, strength and peace. And because of donor support, a family found light when they needed it most. D E S E R T M I S S I O N Kevin participates in a craft project with fellow ADHC members HonorHealth Foundation 15
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