CHP honors Noah’s Ark Fund namesake

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Noah’s Ark was the biblical vessel that saved mankind and Earth’s animals from the floodwaters of ancient times. Since 2009, the Noah’s Ark Fund has been a funding vessel that has provided thousands of dollars for the benefit of patients at Community Health Professionals’ Van Wert Area Inpatient Hospice Center.

The fund, named for Noah Martin, a 13-month-old boy who passed away at the hospice center on July 16, 2009, from a rare heart disease and other disorders, provides a number of items and services to hospice patients and their families that insurance doesn’t cover — and that includes the annual Rays of Hope camp for young people grieving over the loss of a family member, which is free to those participating because of the fund.

Other “extras” include a bed for family members of hospice patients, as well as books, movies, games, and even a sports channel on the center’s television system.

Because of the extensive care that Noah needed during the final months of his life, his family made the decision to bring him to the local hospice center in June 2009. Kim Mason, volunteer coordinator for Community Health Professionals, noted that the move provided an unexpected benefit for his family.

“The biggest thing there was he got to be held,” Mason said, noting that, because of Noah’s small bedroom at home, coupled with the amount of equipment needed to control his pain and keep him comfortable, his parents and other family members were unable to hold him.

“We bring him to the inpatient center and the nurses were able to get that all under control, and he got held by mom and dad, grandma, grandpa, brothers, and sisters that never held him,” Mason explained.

She added that the Martin family was so thankful for the care Noah received, as well as the care the hospice center staff gave to the family and its other three children at the time, that they wanted to give something back to the center.

“Our nurses jumped in and brought in games and put stuff on the computer, and had cookies … they had things to keep them busy,” Mason said, adding: “Sometimes there wasn’t always the money for mom and dad to get here, gas-wise, or to eat in our cafeteria, and (money) would kind of appear through different people.”

To jump-start the Noah’s Ark Fund, the Gospel singing group Trinity, of which Mason is a member, performed a concert and held a silent auction to bring in seed money for the new fund. Each year, CHP also auctions off an item during its annual dinner and auction specifically for Noah’s Ark Fund that brings in thousands of dollars, while the Martin family also holds a fundraiser annually for the fund.

“From that (beginning), it has grown and grown,” Mason said.

On Friday, the Martin family, which included his parents, five siblings, a grandmother, and uncle, was on hand for the unveiling of a plaque at the hospice center to honor him.

The metal plaque includes a picture of Noah’s Ark, with a rainbow above it and the words “In Memory of Noah, May 14, 2008, to July 16, 2009.” The plaque also includes a phrase chosen by the family: “Into every life a little rain must fall … but afterwards God sends a rainbow to remind us He loves us all!”

Also on hand were several members of the committee that oversees the fund. In addition to Mason, members include Tonia Verville, Tisha Fast, Tonia Rutledge, Beth Dye, Brent Tow, and Jeanie Saum.

Mason said that, in addition to providing more comfort to hospice patients and their families, the Noah’s Ark Fund has also benefited the Martin family as well.

“The biggest thing, in giving back, is that the family has done so much healing through that process,” she noted.