Estel is a charming 81 year old older adult from Denver, CO. His Wish of a Lifetime was to travel to Charleston, WV, to visit his brother, sisters, nieces, nephews, and friends.
Estel was raised on a farm in West Virginia, and after his father had a life-threatening injury in a coalmine, he had to grow up quick. He developed a strong work ethic at a young age by maintaining the farm and helping take care of his siblings. Estel enlisted in the US Air Force at 17, and he served six years at bases in San Antonio and Denver. Estel had many accidents, causing severe physical hardship over the course of his life. After his third heart attack in 1997, Estel underwent triple bypass surgery. Through his many injuries, Estel did everything he could to recover quickly to return to work to support his family. Five of Estel’s family members passed away in 2012, but because of his heath and monetary limitations, he could not attend any of their funerals. Estel’s Wish was to take one last trip to West Virginia to visit his two sisters, aged 96 and 92, both of whom are in poor health.
On September 12th, 2013, Wish of a Lifetime sent Estel and his loving wife, Lois, to Charleston, WV, to visit his family. Not only did he get to spend valuable time with his sisters, but he also had the chance to see his brother, his many nieces and nephews, and his friends. Lois said that Estel’s family treated them “like a king and queen,” and each and every one of them was excited to see him. The highlight of the trip was when Estel played music with his nephews. Lois said that this trip was one of the most meaningful experiences of Estel’s life.
Estel’s Wish wouldn’t have been possible without the support Catrene Payan and St. Paul’s Health Center.
