Dorothy, 96, grew up in the small town of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania and is the oldest of four siblings. Dorothy lost her mother when she was 14, resulting in many changes for the family. Her youngest sister, Shirley – 14 months at the time – went to live elsewhere and was later adopted by their Aunt and Uncle. Currently residing at Brookdale Bath in Ohio, Dorothy wished nothing more than to reunite with her youngest sister, Shirley, who now lives in Anaheim, California and whom she had not seen for six years.
Dorothy is an incredibly giving individual. As a young child, Dorothy’s mother taught her how to crochet. Dorothy has continued this hobby throughout her life and has put her talents to good use by donating handmade items to orphanages across the United States. Since moving to Brookdale, she estimates that she has completed six blankets and at least two-dozen sweaters in striped patterns for the orphanages. For Brookdale auctions that benefit the Alzheimer’s Association, she crafted items such as pockets used to hold cell phones and small “dresses” to decorate soap bottles. Dorothy also knit about eight scarves to add to Brookdale’s donation to a homeless shelter.
Before residing at Brookdale, she served in numerous capacities in her church, including President of the United Methodist Women’s group. Throughout their lives, Dorothy and Shirley have tried to keep in touch, though at times it was difficult because they lived across the country from each other.
Wish of a Lifetime and Brookdale were honored to have the opportunity to reunite these two sisters in Anaheim, CA in the fall of 2017. Dorothy and her daughter, Cindy, traveled out to see Shirley for a few nights. They had the opportunity to go through some old photographs of when the sisters were younger and also had a Skype call with their brother who is 91 years old and lives in Pennsylvania. Having this full family reunion made the experience so much better. Dorothy also said that she was able to see a niece and nephew as well. She said, “It was precious [seeing my nephew] because I got to meet his family and I had not seen him since he was a child.” Dorothy said the highlight of her wish was, “the fact that I got to see my sister once more.”
Photo Credit: Danielle Penn Photography
