October 19, 2009

Our members make a difference in our lives: Meet Sue

Helping our members is a driving force for CW employees, but many of us don’t have daily contact with them. Knowing we’ve made a difference in their lives is important, but finding out just who our members are can also inspire us in our work—and our lives.

Take 71-year-old Sue Stuck, who lives in her quiet, friendly, independent living apartment in Delafield. At one time, Sue and her family lived in Elm Grove, where she raised two daughters while her husband worked as a foreman.

Their girls were grown when Sue’s husband was laid off. Four months later, he was diagnosed with melanoma and began a valiant four-year battle. After he passed away, Sue became a medical assistant and started working long days until she was diagnosed with cardiac issues.

Then Sue’s 15-year-old granddaughter passed away with a severe asthma attack. Shortly after that, Sue lost both her younger daughter and her only remaining granddaughter in a tragic car accident, leaving her planning two funerals and trying to hold things together for the family’s other survivor, daughter Julie.

All of this took its toll on Sue’s health. In the past five years, she had open heart surgery and another surgery giving her a pacemaker and a defibrillator. In 2003, Sue was diagnosed with macular degeneration. Despite injections and laser surgery, her vision failed and she is now legally blind. 

Sue worked with Linda Zilles in the county’s waiver program prior to rolling over into CW’s Family Care program in July 2008; Linda also moved over to CW and remains Sue’s care manager. Sue gratefully calls Linda “just a sweetheart” and says she helps her with whatever she needs. Her care team works with her on medication management, since some of her pills are difficult to differentiate from others.

Sue appreciates the relationships she’s developed with in-home supports put in place by the team: Brenda, who cleans for her every other week, and Christine, who takes her shopping and to appointments. But for Sue’s first appointment at an unfamiliar Menomonee Falls clinic, Christine was unable to come along, so Sue nervously made the trip on her own. She was thankful for two drivers who helped deliver and direct her to her destination.

“As it turned out, I felt like I was free again. I did something on my own,” she notes. Months later when Sue needed to go back to the same clinic, she sought out the opportunity to go alone, enjoying the chance to feel independent. Handling challenges and obstacles and conquering fear, Sue perseveres and cherishes the small moments. She helps us do that too.

Learn more about Sue and Wisconsin’s Family Care program by reading freelance writer Mike Nichols’ story in the September 1 edition of the AARP Bulletin Today, visit the AARP Website at http://www.aarp.org/.

For more personal stories about Care Wisconsin and our members, see our 2009 Storybook.

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