Learn what signs and red flags to look for when visiting your relatives this holiday season from Frank Wasilewski of Access Elevator.
Audrey G. Jorgeson is one of the local community members that Access is supporting by providing for her mobility requirements so she can have a better quality of life.
You may have heard a little about this story, and it’s heart-wrenching. In 2019, Audrey Jorgensen became incapacitated due to an anoxic brain injury. She had a cardiac event that starved her heart and brain of oxygen, and she is now dependent on family and friends to provide care for her. After the brain injury, she could no longer walk, feed herself, or communicate in a normal manner. Her youngest daughter, Mia, stepped in to fill a crucial role as the primary caregiver for Audrey.
Mia was a teenager with the wisdom, patience, and grace of an individual far beyond her years. Mia still had to handle school duties as she was a teenager at the time of Audrey’s incident. She devoted herself to her mother and her studies, attending classes virtually and maintaining high grades as well. Tragically, on May 1 of 2022, Mia’s life was cut short, and with it, the primary caregiver for Audrey.
Audrey still looks for Mia because her injured brain does not allow her to comprehend what took place fully. Audrey had to vacate the house, and her family is moving her into a different home that is not equipped for a severely disabled person.
Frank Wasilewski from Access Elevator was recently on the WGN show “Home Sweet Home, Chicago” and talked about this family and their situation. Access Elevator was contacted by the family and asked to help, and they jumped at the opportunity to use their knowledge and services to help out the family.
In addition to connecting the family with state programs, and assisting with wheelchair ramps and other home modification and mobility needs, the team at Access Elevator helped to put them in touch with a trust attorney to establish a trust for the ongoing care of Audrey.
There is an active push to now fund this trust for her care through a GoFundMe page. They have a goal of $100,000 which will help to pay for ongoing medical costs and personnel.