Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Annual Fund

November 2016

Dear Friends,

My husband Michael arrived at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital on June 11 with the best of intentions for rehab and recovery. The Vineyard became our second home many years ago and like others before us, our plan was to heal on the Island for the summer. However, it soon became evident the breast cancer Michael had been battling for 11 years had different plans and a traditional recovery was not to be.

His stay was more often difficult for our family, filled with complications and side effects, adverse reactions to his treatments and, hence, the care he needed became medically complex and sophisticated on many levels. The list of physical, emotional, and spiritual needs was exhaustive, and yet this small Island hospital delivered the most nurturing and compassionate dose of high-quality medical care to Michael – and to our entire family.

And our family is quite the group. It includes four daughters, our youngest, Grace, was only 11 years old, a son-in-law, an energetic 18-month-old grandson who loved to run the halls, and an extended group of family and friends, all very tired and sad from our long walk with cancer. Caring for all of us takes a special group of people.

From the beginning it was apparent we were in extraordinary hands. Starting with coordinating the admission and transfer from Boston, and during our stay, delivering the multitude of services Michael needed on a daily basis: physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, visits to the Infusion center, and a brief stay in the intensive care unit, the process included the most comprehensive and optimal care delivered with pure human compassion.

And when it was time to navigate our journey home to Connecticut, the staff synchronized the trip and continued to provide friendship and support, calling and checking in on our family and sending well wishes from the Island. Michael passed away only five days after we returned home and those days will remain some of the most difficult times of our lives. And although our hearts ache because a cure was not available, until then we find comfort in being part of a place that reflects medicine at its best; a system where love and compassion merge with science and create a humane experience when people need it most.

Thank you Martha’s Vineyard Hospital for taking care of my family when we needed it most!

This year’s appeal letter is dedicated to supporting the Hospital’s Infusion Center just one of the special places in the Hospital where Michael received care. I hope you will consider making a gift to this vital department and its exceptional staff.

Sincerely,

Marci Moreau & Family

Marci Moreau fell in love with the Vineyard the first time she came to visit over twenty years ago, and then, she fell in love with her husband, Michael and brought him to the island every summer until his last. Together on the Vineyard they found serenity, comfort, friendship and love- in short, they found another home. During the rest of the year Marci lives with their daughter Grace, 12, and her two older daughters, Rachel and Samantha, in West Hartford, CT. Her oldest daughter, Allyson, son-in-law, Rob, and grandson, Remy live in Manhattan. Together they plan to return to the island, this summer and every one thereafter, to celebrate Michael and their life.

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