Shelley Tippett Care Fund

There’s No Place Like Home For Shelley

Family: Tom, Sherry, and Shelley Tippett; Katie, Max, and Dash Lundbeck; Jackie Tippett and Tom Adducchio

In 1996, our sister Shelley was in a catastrophic balcony collapse while attending Ohio State which resulted in her becoming quadriplegic. She was only 22. Our mother, Sherry, having no previous medical experience, brought her home and became her caregiver 24/7. All these years Mom has cared for Shelley, worked full-time, and continued to be the rock for our family. This has allowed Shelley to live in the comfort of their home, be healthy and surrounded by loved ones, graduate from Wright State University, and be active volunteering throughout the community.

Unexpectedly, on June 4th, Mom was admitted to the ER for what was thought to be a kidney infection. As it turned out, Mom was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer that had spread everywhere. We were heartbroken and devastated to learn her prognosis and spent as much time with her as we could, watching favorite movies and witnessing her and Dad’s 50th-anniversary vow renewal. Mom passed on September 15, surrounded by her family at home. Our family must now find a way to provide care for Shelley long-term in addition to dealing with our grief over Mom. Mom's wishes for Shelley were for her to continue to live at home, safe and well cared for, with Dad.

If any of you have experience dealing with the re-evaluation of benefits for a loved one on Medicare and/or Medicaid, you know this is a drawn-out, monumental task. As our family is discovering, the total hours needed to care for a quadriplegic in-home are not covered by these insurances; thus, private nursing must be pursued. Private nursing care is not only expensive but difficult to staff, although the alternative would be a care facility that can run rampant with poor care issues. Not to mention, these facilities are mostly meant for those with dementia, cognitive disabilities, or other mental challenges. From infections to bed sores and neglect, these are just some of the reasons that being unable to stay home would be a death sentence for Shelley.

We humbly ask for any support that you can give to Shelley’s special needs trust; it would be extremely appreciated! As well as your financial support, we are asking you to SHARE this with everyone you know. YOUR SHARING will make a huge difference in how quickly we reach this goal. Thank you.