On The BoardWALK….

1. IT TAKES ALL KINDS TO MAKE A BOARD WALK…age, gender, species; 2. PIRATE ON A MISSION: Caleb “Yellowbeard” Potter; 3. RAISING CANE: 78-year-old stroke survivor Bob Mix of Sandwich with Mary Farnham, PTA, and friend; 4. FIT TO A TEE: Event sponsors Brian Charron and Carol McLeod; 5. ‘AWESOME’, Christian Barclay’s word for his new hand cycle.  Photos by Jay Elliott.

The appearance of the pirate Yellowbeard in the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and Islands’ annual fund-raising walk October 4 in Sandwich was met with rousing cheers. That’s because the young man growling “aaarrrruuuugggghhhhh!” under the pirate costume was Wellfleet’s own Caleb Potter, a 26-year-old shellfisherman who has spent the last 15 months battling to recover from a bizarre accident that nearly claimed his life.

RHCI’s annual walk in Sandwich had been postponed from September 7 due to Tropical Storm Hanna. But not only did hundreds still show up, the rescheduled event actually exceeded it goal of $80,000 by 10 percent.

For Caleb, as for many other participants who were or had been RHCI patients, the walk represented a victory march. And the pirate costume was more than just fun. It was symbolic of the distance Caleb had traveled since suffering a traumatic brain injury on July 4, 2007.

On that day, Caleb also had donned his Yellowbeard outfit, jumped on his skateboard and grabbed the bumper of a friend’s pick-up truck during a parade. Somehow the skateboard got caught under the truck, pitching Caleb forward. The impact caused a severe near-fatal brain injury.

After months of inpatient care in Boston, Caleb returned to his mother’s home and began out-patient therapy at RHCI-Orleans. Lee Lacroix, speech and language pathologist, has treated Caleb twice a week since November and many members of the RHCI –Orleans staff also showed up in costume.

For many others, the Board WALK is an annual event. Eleven-year-old Christian Barclay of Cotuit has joined the walk for the last six years, sometimes walking on prosthetic legs  and sometimes hitching a ride with long-time supporter Jeff Luce. This year, Christian tried out a hand cycle provided by Craig Bautz of Cape-able Adventures, Inc. RVCI and Cape-able Adventures are collaborating to offer the RHCI Adaptive Sports and Recreation Program, which gives people with disabilities access to adaptive cycling and other sports.

“So many of our patients consider being in the walk a true milestone in their recovery,” said Carol Sim, RHCI president and CEO. “This is what it’s all about.”

RHCI Board WALK flagship sponsors were Atlantic Prosthetics and Orthotics Co., Inc.; Helene’s Gifts and Home Decor, Image First Healthcare Laundry Specialists; Joe’s Fish and Lobster Mart; Mirant; Wayside Gallery; West Gate Home Medical Equipment, Inc.; Cape Cod Times; Carol McLeod Design and O’Brien and Company Printing.

(For information about donating to RHCI, contact 508-833-4004 or www.rhci.org.)

A REAL CUT-UP:
Dr. Richard Keating, an independent living resident originally from Truro, buoyantly brandishes the scissors after cutting the ribbon to cap ceremonies marking the official Grand Opening of Seashore Point, a senior living residence in Provincetown. Cheering him on are The Reverend Herb Taylor, CEO of the parent Deaconess Abundant Life Communities, and Michelle Couture, chair of the Provincetown Board of Selectmen. The occasion also provided an opportunity to introduce the facility’s new executive director, Steve Colarusso (that’s his hand below Dr. Keating’s upraised arm), to members of the local community.

‘COME RIGHT IN’:
Staff members cut the ribbon to symbolically welcome in clients at the new Hospice & Palliative Care of Cape Cod McCarthy Care Center in Sandwich. From left: Jean Dawson, Chief Financial Officer; Susan Garcia Strauss, Vice-President for Clinical Operations; Lisa Sherman, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors; Carolyn Fulgueras, Director of In-Patient Services; Ellen Mahoney, Office Operations Manager; and, holding the ribbon, Patricia Parker, Director of Professional Relations. Photo by Jay Elliott

The official dedication took place October 2 for Hospice & Palliative Care of Cape Cod’s new McCarthy Care Center in Sandwich. The Cape’s newest medical resource, it’s the only hospice in-patient unit in Southeastern Massachusetts, and one of only three in the state.

All medically eligible patients can be admitted to the McCarthy Care Center. Admission to one of the 10 patient rooms is based on the need for pain and symptom management that cannot be safely or effectively provided by hospice in the home. The primary goal is to provide short-term stays for acute symptom management and patient stabilization. Patients can be admitted 24 hours a day and anyone can refer. Skilled nursing care is provided around the clock, with a physician and nurse practitioner making daily rounds. New clinical improvements to the building include an isolation room to care for patients with airborne infectious diseases, a larger nurse’s station to accommodate the expanded clinical staff, and upgrades to kitchen and hygiene facilities.

Hospice of Cape Cod was founded in 1981 and this building originally opened in 2002 on land donated by the Jillson family of Sandwich. More than 1,000 community individuals, businesses and foundations contributed to the Capital Campaign for its construction.
For more information call 508-957-0200 or go to www.hospicecapecod.org.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES:
Staffers from Home Staff, LLC had all their informational material handy when they staged an open house for industry professionals to mark the opening of their new Cape Cod territory office in Hyannis. The office also provides a centralized location for home care aides to receive certification training, in-services, and new employee orientation. Founded in 1997, Home Staff LLC now has four offices in Massachusetts, the others in Leominster, Springfield and corporate headquarters in Worcester. The company recently was one of two organizations to receive a Torch Award for marketing ethics from the Better Business Bureau of Central New England. Pictured, from left: Brett Salmonson, Marketing Manager; Renee Featherstone, Office supervisor; Lisa Flammia, Schedule coordinator; and Elise McMullin, Marketing Representative for Cape Cod.