At 81 years old, Pat, a resident of Brookdale Bradenton Gardens in Bradenton, Florida, is known around her community as Dog the Bounty Hunter’s number one fan. Throughout her life, Pat never had time for television in the mornings because she was always busy getting her kids ready for school and heading off to work herself. However, when an illness necessitated that she move into a skilled nursing facility, she found herself with long, quiet mornings on her own. It was then that she came across the show “Dog the Bounty Hunter.” Pat stayed in skilled nursing for nearly a year, and during that time she spent nearly every breakfast with Dog and his crew. She can’t help but feel that she has gotten to know them and grown close to them in that time, like they are family friends or neighbors that she has shared a fence with for many years. She really respects Dog for making the most of his life and learning from his mistakes. She admires the way that others, especially kids, respect him and the way that he runs his business with his family. The past year has been a difficult time for Pat, but she says that Dog and his family inspired her throughout her stay in skilled nursing and continues to as she makes the transition to a older adult living community.
Pat has always been a very giving woman, and she hasn’t let her illness extinguish that spirit. Most of her life was devoted to her family, first in raising her kids and working to make sure they had everything they needed and later when she became the primary caregiver for her husband through a difficult period of illness before he passed away. Now that her kids are grown up and her husband has passed away, Pat has recently started to think about herself and the things she would still like to experience. Given how well she has gotten to know Dog and his team over the past few months, Pat’s Wish was to meet Dog and his crew.
Wish of a Lifetime and Brookdale were able to fulfill Pat’s Wish by setting up a meeting between Pat and Dog the Bounty Hunter. After listening to Dog and Beth Chapman preach at an invitation-only service at The Source Church in Bradenton, Pat was able to meet with the famous couple. Not only did Dog sign her copy of “Where Mercy is Shown, Mercy is Given,” but he also gave her a signed copy of his other book, “You Can Run but You Can’t Hide.” The Chapmans were extremely gracious and loved meeting Pat. They hope to stay in touch.
Photos courtesy of Leigh Clifton from Studio 656 West
