Mrs. Lena Newberry’s son, Sammy Newberry, lived at The Virginia Home for 34 years. Lena Newberry died in 2002, and Lena’s daughter Belinda Flournoy tells the family’s story. “As a young man, my older brother Sammy was very smart and good looking. He was going to be the family lawyer. But in 1969, when he was 19, a car accident caused serious brain injury.
After many months in the hospital, Sammy came home, unable to care for himself, or even talk. “My mother had been a school teacher, but she quit in 1969 to devote herself to Sammy’s care. My parents looked after Sammy until my father died in 1985, when my mother continued taking care of Sammy at home.
But we knew about The Virginia Home, since my mother-in-law had MS and was a resident there. Sammy was finally able to enter The Home himself in 1990, at the age of 40. “Mother was always a planner, and had earlier directed part of her retirement benefit toward Sammy’s care.
Once Sammy entered The Home, mother decided instead to direct those funds to The Home, which was caring for Sammy so well. “It is practically impossible to express what having Sammy at The Home has meant to our family. Our frequent visits remind us what a place of trustworthiness The Home is. In turn, we are so glad The Home has this gift from our family.”
