The 'Walkers' Of Wyngate

There is a new rule in the dining room....all walkers (no wheels), rollators (the walkers with wheels), and wheelchairs (not included in the parking situation but also need plates) are to be parked along the wall while eating dinner.  There are so many there is always a traffic jam.  So we (my dad) decided that they needed license plates so the walker would get to the right person after dinner.  I decided they should be 'vanity' plates.  Not a problem...just needed some good markers.

I tried to get a few pictures of some of the plates today at lunch.

They love them.

They are also handy as carry-alls.

So versatile.  I have been known to race them down the hallway.

And there is another sweet, sweet story.  It's going to make you cry so got get a tissue.  I cry every time I think about it.

This is Mark's dad and friend on North Huntington Heights. Her name is Juanita.  And here is the story.

Keith also lived at Wyngate.  He and my dad were always big buddies even when they lived over the hill on N. Queens Court and Lower Terrace.  They waved at each other when my dad would go up and down the hill.  My dad would stop in for a visit at the deck when Keith and Katherine would be sitting there in the evenings.  Then somehow they both decided (with the urging of all their children) to move into Wyngate.  My dad on the first floor and Keith on the second floor.  And they were quite a pair.  Never a dull moment.  Even at Wyngate, they checked on each other.

Both of them are Veterans and the VA did a lot for Keith and still continue to help my dad.  They provided Keith with a regular walker...you know the one that you put tennis balls on the bottoms of the legs...and then later a nice, new, shiny rollator.

When my father-in-law passed Terry gave the rollator to Wyngate because it was almost brand new and he hoped that someone else might be able to use it.  So it was put away in closet storage.  This is where it gets a little tricky.  Virginia also lives at Wyngate.  She is Juanita's sister and they were childhood neighbors of Keith in Chesapeake.  At the time Juanita was living in the Assisted Living part of Wyngate (across the parking lot).  She was waiting for a move to the Independent Living part of Wyngate. (where we are now)  The story goes that Keith and Juanita were a little sweet on each other back in the day.  

Juanita had a pretty baby blue rollator but it was showing it's age of eight years with a little rust here and there.  She decided that she wanted to order a new one.  But she wanted a little bit bigger one.  So the doctor wrote the orders and a new one was ordered.  While waiting for it to be delivered Juanita fell had had to spend a few days in the hospital.  While away her rollator was delivered and it was in her room waiting for her return.  The new one was a different color blue and it was way bigger.  Everyone told her that they thought it was too big for her.  What to do?  She had already given her old one to the VA.  She sent the new larger one back. So she is without now.  But know the Rollator Fairy knows where there is one...the storage closet...and it once belonged to be Keith.  So now Juanita rolls around happily using Keith's rollator that is just perfect!

When I asked her if I could get a picture of her today, she told me very proudly that is once was Keith's.  And yes I had tears as I do right now.  I love a good story.  And this one is certainly a very special one.