Caregivers: Everyday Heroes Truly Making More Possible
It’s always the big things that seem make headlines – Oprah bought an all-expenses-paid Australian vacation for each member of her audience; a man scaled a tall building in New York with only suction cups. But in reading the hundreds of stories that poured in from families across the nation, nominating their caregiver for BrightStar’s 2010 Caregiver of the Year award, it quickly became evident what the real news is to those touched by the compassion of their caregivers.
There are upwards of 65 million people in the US who have taken on the responsibility of caring for a loved one; to many of these family caregivers, things we often take for granted like simply being able to leave the house become special treats. The truth is, when a loved one faces a health challenge, the world seems to stop and priorities change. Everything that used to matter, no longer does, and it’s the littlest things that become the most meaningful.
This was the powerful and resounding message that came to us from the gracious families who submitted nominations for our 2010 Caregiver of the Year award. Each story was unique in its own way, but the message was clear as day. The caregiver finalists didn’t buy their clients winning lottery tickets, or save them from a burning building; they didn’t swoop in and catch them from falling out of the highest floor of a skyscraper. But after reading these stories, you would have thought that they had.
Caregivers are truly everyday heroes. The work they do day in and day out, while necessary, is physically demanding, emotionally draining and often thankless. And yet, they not only touch peoples’ lives – they often become part of them. And although many of this year’s Caregiver of the Year finalists embodied this, one very special caregiver stood out from the rest.
After much debate (and boxes of Kleenex), we are excited and honored to announce is our 2010 Caregiver of the Year – Tracy Duran. Tracy hails from BrightStar of Huntington Beach. Click here to read the story submitted by her client's family.