Paula's house is almost ready for her arrival back home. She was quite fortunately chosen from a lottery for an ABI (Acquired Brain Injury) waiver. This covers the cost of adapting her first floor apartment and will be instrumental in making sure proper care is in place for her to go home. They have installed a concrete pathway that leads to a wooden ramp for easy access to the back door, and also to the less steep side front steps that have been added. They will put railings on the original front steps so that she can use those as well, as she was very insistent on that. The bathroom has been totally redone with a walk-in non slip shower, new floor and tile as well as grab bars and new toilet.

The ABI Waiver program is also putting in a closet for a stackable washer/dryer off the bathroom and family members and friends have provided new furniture and a washer/dryer and are moving some of her own things to help her feel really at home on the first floor. Tyler will be staying with her to help her. She will hopefully be starting therapy again at the Community Rehab Center in Newton.

It has always been Paula’s goal to return to her home at Antwerp St. and that will be happening very soon.

The Helping Paula committee has decided that our goal of bringing Paula home has been fulfilled, and the time has come for us to just go back to being Paula’s friends and family. Any contributions made now will go towards her medical and therapy expenses and expenses related to her needs at home.

As of September 16, 2011 we have taken down the “Helping Paula” Facebook page. We will however have occasional updates available here and will let people know as soon as we do the exact date of her moving in.

We want to thank everyone who made the Helping Paula Facebook page work so well for Paula. It's been a long road and so many of her family and friends have been instrumental in helping her all along the way.

There would have been no “Helping Paula”, or this website, without the hard work of everyone that helped our committee since its inception, over two years ago. Everything we did is a testimonial to Paula's friends and family, who pulled together, did lots of PR, got the website up, and raised the money that brought her back to Boston. They then organized and put on amazing events, gathered items for auction, created beautiful promos and artwork and did all they could to help her get the best possible care. Paula has been very fortunate to have so much support from so many directions.
Thanks again to everyone for their help in getting Paula home.
With great appreciation,