Author Archives: Cara Olexa (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

I Lost My Father Twice — Once to Dementia and Once to a Flawed DNA Test

My father worried I wasn't his biological son, and my siblings set out to prove it after he died. Their behavior broke my heart and destroyed my sense of who I was.
Posted on February 14, 2021 by Cara Olexa (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

This is Joseph’s story as told to Cara Olexa. Our “Opening Our Hearts” stories are based on people’s real-life experiences. By sharing these experiences publicly, we hope to help our readers feel less alone in their grief and, ultimately, to … Continue reading →

Posted in Opening our Hearts | 2 Comments

My Mother’s Hollow Final Goodbye Broke My Heart

My mother’s goodbye to my father broke a new piece of my heart; she didn’t love me or my father how we wanted, but I hoped until the end that she could
Posted on January 10, 2021 by Cara Olexa (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

This is Suzanne’s story as told to Cara Olexa by her daughter. Our “Opening Our Hearts” stories are based on people’s real-life experiences. By sharing these experiences publicly, we hope to help our readers feel less alone in their grief … Continue reading →

Posted in Opening our Hearts | 2 Comments

“A Monster Calls” by Patrick Ness, Illustrated by Jim Kay

In this book, 13-year-old Conor dreams about a monster, but the words he's afraid to say about his dying mother are much scarier
Posted on January 1, 2021 by Cara Olexa (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

“A Monster Calls” was an award-winning young adult novel before it was a movie based on the book. Written by Patrick Ness and illustrated by Jim Kay, the book grew from an original idea by author Siobhan Dowd, who died … Continue reading →

Posted in Lending Insight | 2 Comments

Photos, Dying and Living: Kate Schutt’s “Square by Square”

Kate sings about her mom’s labor of love before dying: organizing the family photos
Posted on December 22, 2020 by Cara Olexa (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Kate Schutt was with her mom, Katharine, when the doctor said the word cancer and everything changed forever. CT scan, de-bulking surgery, biopsy: Katharine’s ovarian cancer was a carcinosarcoma, deadlier than the carcinoma her sister had survived. The last chapter … Continue reading →

Posted in Expressive Music | Leave a comment

Do Robot Pets for Older Adults with Dementia Help Ease Loneliness?

Should you buy a robot pet for your older family member who’s living with dementia? As with so many questions, the answer is complicated
Posted on December 11, 2020 by Cara Olexa (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

This holiday season, we can buy more robot toys than ever before — robots for the whole family, from kids to young-at-heart adults. Robot pets, from robotic cats that vibrate while purring to a whole pack of tail-wagging electronic dogs, … Continue reading →

Posted in Something Special | 1 Comment

My Mother Died When I Was Seven

Her bowling ball was all I had to remind me of her, so why did I leave it in the desert?
Posted on December 5, 2020 by Cara Olexa (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

This is the story of Cara as written by her. Our “Opening Our Hearts” stories are based on people’s real-life experiences. By sharing these experiences publicly, we hope to help our readers feel less alone in their grief and, ultimately, … Continue reading →

Posted in Opening our Hearts | 8 Comments