During a wellness check in early 2021 (the height of the pandemic), my sister was found unresponsive and sent to the hospital and then eventually to assisted living. We discovered that she had been living in filthy conditions. The floor was more than ankle deep in debris and trash. It appeared that anything dropped on the floor stayed there; food containers, glasses, plates, bathroom wipes, clothes, etc. The bathrooms and kitchen hadn’t been cleaned; grocery bags and delivery boxes strewn about; and a sliding glass door was left open so stray cats and other animals had come in and made a horrible mess.

Shannon led the charge in dealing with the situation. Because of her standing in the community and resourcefulness, she had contacts everywhere that helped throughout the process.

First, Shannon worked with the family to do an initial sweep of the house, removing all of the trash and junk that turned out to be multiple truck loads to the dump. She scheduled the removal of piles of trash, broken furniture and appliances, stained bed mattresses and couches.

Shannon organized items to be kept and boxed them up and stored them and donated the items no longer needed or wanted.

Shannon called and scheduled a battalion of cleaners to make the house habitable and set up house repairs and inspections. She dealt with banks and utility companies on behalf of my sister and dealt with the DMV to track down the proper paperwork to donate her car to charity.

She found a lawyer for my sister who specialized in her situation to ensure her affairs were in order and that she was protected and made sure her Advanced Health Directive was up to date. 

When it became obvious my sister would not be able to move back home, Shannon contacted a realtor she knew who listed the house and sold it to a family who love it and live there today, which made my sister so happy.

Throughout this entire process, Shannon maintained open and clear communication with my sister and when appropriate our entire family about what was happening and what she was working on.

The job was overwhelming. But because of her compassion and respect for my sister, her contacts in the county, and her organization skills honed over the years, Shannon made it happen and I will always be in awe of what she did. Shannon brings this compassion, drive and energy to every job she tackles. I saw her work miracles on my sister’s house. She will do the same for others.

~SB