Green Team Goes All Out For Irish Gift

Theresa Neil remembers fondly the bright springs and crisp falls of her native Ireland. When she first set off to start a new life in the United States, it was with a heavy heart that she bid adieu to her homeland.

The 85-year-old hospice patient has always had a feisty streak and sense of old world humor consistent with her shamrock roots. She often takes her nurses and social workers through vivid memories of warm Irish pubs and rolling emerald hills. When it came time to plan the perfect day for Neil, as part of Crossroads’ “Gift of a Day” program, her care team wanted to bring some Irish flare across the pond and back to their patient. Crossroads arranged for an Irish musician to visit Neil in her Westlake, Ohio residence home. The musician played guitar and sang traditional songs for a group of residents, the types of melodies that can be heard from Dublin to Cork when Neil was a girl and to this day. Crossroads made sure the concert was fully stocked, with traditional Irish pastries and refreshments. In addition to the other residents enjoying the show, Neil was joined by her children and grandchildren from out of town. “We always love to hear about Ms. Neil’s home and her love for Ireland,” said Shelly DeSmith, Gift of a Day coordinator for Crossroads in Cleveland. “This was our way of bringing some of that back into her life and celebrating her unique heritage.” This Gift goes to show that you can take the girl out of Ireland, but you’ll never take Ireland out of the girl.

For more information on hospice or our Gift of a Day program, please call us at 888-564-3405 or visit our website.

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