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December 1997 - the article that started it all!
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Companions Offer Steady Comfort Nobody's harder to buy for than nursing home patients with Alzheimer's disease. they probably won't smile with delight at any gift.They may not say thank you. And they won't remember tomorrow that you gave them anything today. Fran Maiers of Rochester Hills doesn't care. She believes she has found a perfect gift for those with Alzheimer's, and wants to raise enough money to hand out 100 of them at nursing homes this holiday season. She calls her gifts "cuddle companions." They are soft stuffed animal dogs that will lie flat in a person's lap and can be petted and stroked for hours, providing steady, primal comfort. "It will always be there for them, in their laps or their beds," says Maiers of each toy. "It's something that will stay the same, not like the ever-changing faces of caregivers." "When the rest of their world is all up and down and inside out, it will just be there."
Instinctive reaction Maiers, who is 57, was inspired last Christmas by an old woman she met at one of the several local nursing homes where she sings gospel music. "I was setting up and caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye. She had a stuffed dog in her lap, and she had her hand under its little head, and she just kept petting it and petting it and petting it. She had been petting it so long she had worn off all its fur. "I'll never forget that image." |
Maiers' mother died of
Alzheimer's disease almost two years ago, at age 89. She was able to live in her
home in the Thumb until the end, receiving 24-hour care. Once each week, Maiers
drove up from Rochester Hills to relieve the caregivers for a day. Sometimes she
brought her dog with her, which her mother instinctively petted. "But it never crossed my mind to give her a stuffed animal," Maiers says with regret. Corporate Help This year, Maiers asked for help from two stuffed animal manufacturers: Ty, which produces Beanie Babies and other toys, and Gund, whose creatures are notably squooshy. She's heard nothing from Ty, but the Gund Foundation in New Jersey donated 24 big, cuddly dogs to Maiers' effort. They are so bit that Maiers plans to save them for men or larger women. Otherwise, she is buying direct from Gund, for $15 each, the 17-inch dog Gund calls "Muttsy." Muttsy lies flat and won't easily tumble off a lap. So far, Maiers has about 50 animals, which nearly fill the guest room of her home but which she will begin handing out at local nursing homes next week. She raised some money at a gospel concert last weekend at Rochester High School, but only 100 people came. She'd like to raise another $750 to buy at least 150 more toys by Christmas. Yes, everybody is trying to raise money this time of year, it seems. And very big bucks are there to be raised. In England this week, for example, Elton John gave $32 million in proceeds from sales of "Candle in the Wind" to Princess Diana's memorial foundation. |
A small, noble effort
like Fran Maiers' risks being lost and forgotten this season - just like the men and women
she'd like to comfort. Donations can
be made to Amie's Inc., a nonprofit group, at
P.O. Box 220 To leave a message for Susan Ager, call 1-313-222-6862. Or email ager@det-freepress.com |