“That was a good one!” said Ms. Thelma McAdoo-Rider about her 96th birthday celebration on Saturday at Hospice Home Care’s Comfort Care Center. Born 96 years ago in Saline County, Arkansas – Thelma celebrated another trip around the planet Saturday, April 18, with family and friends singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her from outside a big picture window.
With a strict no visitor rule in place amid the current pandemic, “All of our celebrations look a little different these days”, says Comfort Care Center Executive Director, Starla Adams. “For now, our celebrations are more about families being able to just see one another, smiling, waving, blowing bubbles and singing loudly to be heard through the window.”
The inconvenience of separation couldn’t dampen the spirits of this family birthday get-together! Five family members attended the window birthday with six more on Facetime from a remote location.
Tami Edwards shared several cherished stories from her childhood about her “Sweet Granny.” She recalls spending many summers with her sister at Grandpa and Granny’s house helping in the garden, tea parties on the porch, playing dress-up, and reading library books. Tami said, “Granny always had the biggest and best garden in the county.”
Tami shared that years later, after her Grandpa died, Granny moved to be closer to her brother and sister. The sisters were always getting into comical mischief. “Once they drove into the bank drive-through backwards so that Sister could do the banking transition because Granny was driving.”
Tami’s niece, Sandy said, “I do recall, it was a sure thing that I would be a nurse like my Aunt Thelma.” Thelma Rider was a registered nurse by trade, and often worked at night caring for patients. Sandy continued, “I could go on and on about my love and admiration to this sweet wonderful woman. I will always be impressed at her commitment to daily prayer and Bible study, how she always had a long list of people she prayed for, sometimes by having each person’s picture to visualize as she said prayer for them. She would often move those more in need closer to the top of her list.”
Celebrations may look differently right now, but the love and caring commitment to each patient and their family remains unchanged at Hospice Home Care’s Comfort Care Center located at 2200 Bowman Road in Little Rock. Call (501) 558-4100 for more information about room accommodations and amenities.
