Love, Strength, and the Gift of Compassionate Care

When Anna Hannigan’s mother, Fortunata Suppappola, began showing signs of Alzheimer’s in her early 80’s, her world shifted.

When Anna Hannigan’s mother, Fortunata Suppappola, began showing signs of Alzheimer’s in her early 80’s, her world shifted. What followed was an 11-year journey defined by love and unexpected strength in her family.

“Life suddenly changed for me,” Anna recalled, describing the years she balanced a full-time job while helping her father, Ubaldo, care for her mother. As the years went by, “more and more of my time was devoted to my mother’s care.” Ubaldo, then in his 90s, was committed to keeping his wife at home. “He was determined. No nursing home, no matter what.”

That determination was rooted in the life Ubaldo led. Born in Rhode Island, he returned to Italy with his family at age eight. At nineteen, he was drafted into the Italian army during World War II and was later captured, spending three years as a prisoner of war across Austria, Germany, and Demark. After the war, he returned to the United States settling in Fall River, where he built his life.

Initially hesitant to allow outside help, Ubaldo eventually welcomed Southcoast Health at Home in 2019 to assist. “At first, he didn’t want anyone in the house,” Anna remembered. “But then, he could not wait to see the team walk through the door. They brought more than care for my mom; they also brought my dad some companionship.”

However, even with extra help, the journey was not without challenges. Fortunata was put into hospice in April 2020 and the pandemic brought new fears and added stress. Anna juggled long drives, appointments, morning visits and late-night check-ins to help provide an extra set of hands to take some of the pressure off her father. That’s when she learned about the Compassion Fund.

The Compassion Fund provides additional supportive care hours to hospice patients and their families who are facing financial hardship, allowing for patients to be cared for in the comfort of their own home. For the Suppappola family, it meant an extra CNA could visit in the afternoons.

“That one extra person changed everything,” Anna said. “My dad could relax and eat his dinner while someone else fed my mom. He wasn’t lifting her on and off the toilet alone anymore. I didn’t have to panic every afternoon while I was at work. It gave me peace of mind, and it gave him relief.”

Ubaldo cared for his wife with unwavering love until her passing in February 2021.  “He developed a hernia from all the lifting. But he never stopped. They were married for 71 years. That kind of devotion is rare.”

Ubaldo passed away in November 2023 at the age of 99, surrounded by the same care and compassion at Charlton Memorial Hospital.

Just weeks before his passing, Anna’s husband was diagnosed with cancer, adding another layer of fear and uncertainty. But today, he is healthy and doing well after treatment with Southcoast Health Cancer Care. “It was one thing after another,” she said. “But once again, Southcoast Health showed up.  “The care and compassion was superb, and with my husband’s post cancer patient check-ins, we felt their genuine concern, so much so that it felt like family.”

Today, Anna speaks passionately about the role Southcoast Health played in her family’s life. From at-home care, hospice and oncology, the support from Southcoast Health has been ongoing. “If you have to be sick, Southcoast is the place to be.”

Looking back, she is especially grateful for the Compassion Fund. “Families are out there remortgaging homes, trying to keep care ongoing. It adds a level of stress, splitting your time between working, your own family, and care of your parents, while trying to give your utmost attention to all. If you are thinking about donating, this is where it matters. I lived it. I know.”

For more information on Southcoast Health Cancer Care, visit Oncology Cancer Care Southeastern MA | Southcoast Health. For more information on Southcoast Health at Home services, visit Southcoast Health at Home in MA & RI | Supportive Care.