The main character of our story is Mr Józef. However, it is difficult not to mention the figure of his wife – Mrs Helenka, a very nice person who is always very happy about our visit. This tiny, fragile woman bravely takes care of her husband, with whom she has lived together for 65 years.
Mr Józef was born in Suszcza in Podlasie. His family earned their living by working on a small farm. In search of better earnings, they moved to the State Farm in Hieronimów. Then they settled in Michałowo, where they moved their old, abandoned wooden house from Suszcza. It was here that Mr Józef met Mrs Helenka, with whom he married in 1959. As a young husband, he started working at agriculture machinery center in Białystok, then he worked at the Michałowo Commune Cooperative and retired from work in the Żednia Forest Inspectorate. The wife, on the other hand, raised three children.
Five years ago, Mr Józef suffered a slight stroke, from which he quickly recovered. However, after the second stroke, he remained immobilized and dependent on his family. Helenka, who is sick herself and sometimes helpless, is supported by her daughters. One is always nearby, because she lives next door, and the other lives in Białystok, but she tries to visit her parents as often as possible.
Mr Józef has been under the care of our home hospice for a year and a half. The help of our medical team – a doctor, nurse and physiotherapist, brings tangible results.
Today, Józef, with the help of his daughter, moves on a wheelchair, and at the table he can eat his own meals. He talks quite indistinctly, but always logically and, most importantly, with a smile. Helenka is glad that she did not have to leave him, handing him over to an institution. She is grateful that her husband can live the last years of his life under our care and in his own home.
