Mooresville woman asks for Christmas cards to be sent to father with Alzheimer’s; gets hundreds
A Mooresville woman posted on Facebook asking for Christmas cards for her dad, who is living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Tom McCarthy now has hundreds of cards for what could be his last Christmas.
The 94-year-old man spent his glory days interviewing his idols before becoming one himself.
“He was a sports broadcaster right out of college,” his daughter, Kerry McCarthy, said. “And then he became a professional piano player. So, he would travel all over, just entertaining.”
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McCarthy moved to Pennsylvania to care for her dad during what she expects to be his last holiday season.
“I needed to give him an experience that he could feel,” she said. “That he wasn’t alone. He could feel that there were people that still cared about him.”
She posted in the Facebook group, The Angel Card Project, requesting Christmas cards for her dad.
“When I made a post on Facebook, my hope was that maybe 10 of my friends would see it and would jump in,” McCarthy said. “We’re close to 400 cards that have poured in from just kind strangers and people all over the country that heard about it.”
Some of the cards triggered memories for him, depending on where they came from.
“My dad especially has gotten a kick out of all the pictures that children have drawn for him,” she said. “And he just keeps saying, ‘Wow.’”
Cards are still rolling in after Christmas.
“It just truly feels like they’re wrapping me in a big hug,” McCarthy said. “And they’re helping me get through this. I’m so thankful.”
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