Emily Progin, Content Manager
eprogin@helphopelive.org / 800.642.8399
FUNDRAISING WILL HELP LIFELONG ARDSLEY RESIDENT GET CARE & MOBILITY
“It’s a Way to Honor the Memory of My Mother”
ARDSLEY, N.Y.—Born with cerebral palsy, 54-year-old Helene Ferester values her independence and her community. To keep her connected and mobile, her community is fundraising with the trusted nonprofit Help Hope Live to help Helene afford an electric lift for her bedroom, daily caregiving, and other essentials.
Helene worked for 20 years as a front-end manager for her family’s pharmacy and general store, Yonkers Prescriptions, until the store closed. She remains closely connected to her community today, pursuing worship with Young Israel of Scarsdale and Greenburg Hebrew Center and regularly buying from Evergreen Kosher. She and her family have lived in Ardsley since she was six years old.
Helen received a lot of support from her mother, Doris, who passed away in 2023, leaving Helene with more obstacles to overcome to stay mobile and receive the care she needs. Doris served as a “chauffeur” to help Helene stay mobile, assisted with caregiving and home care, and helped plan trips to see family members together.
With limited mobility, Helene relies on caregiving and key home health supplies to stay safe, access medical care, and enjoy Ardsley. While insurance has helped her pay for several key expenses, including her electric wheelchair and an accessible minivan, she now needs something insurance doesn’t cover: emergency repairs on a Hoyer lift, a critical device installed in her bedroom ceiling.
The Hoyer lift repairs will allow her to access care and safely transfer from her wheelchair to her bed and back with the help of caregivers. Transfers are much more difficult for Helene and her caregivers without it—and due to that safety risk, Helene is spending extended time in her wheelchair, which poses health risks to her over time.
Even with help from Medicaid, Helene is already covering $400 per week in caregiving support. That’s why Helene is fundraising for a Hoyer lift and other critical costs with the nonprofit Help Hope Live.
Tax-deductible donations can be made at: https://helphopelive.org/campaign/21432/
To Helene, securing the support she needs to be independent and safe is a mission that goes beyond just her own wellbeing.
“This is a way to honor my mother,” Helene explained. “She spent many years working to ensure that I had as many opportunities and as high a quality of life as possible, and I know she would have liked to see that continue.”
Unlike a GoFundMe campaign, donations to Help Hope Live are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, and all funds raised will be managed by the nonprofit to cover verified medical and related expenses. Help Hope Live verifies medical and financial need for every patient.
Help Hope Live is a national nonprofit that specializes in engaging communities in secure, tax-deductible fundraising campaigns for people who need a transplant or are affected by a catastrophic injury or illness. Since 1983, campaigns organized by Help Hope Live have raised over $181 million to pay patient expenses. ###
Written by Emily Progin
