Guest Spotlight — Clara St. John
Recent Family House guest, Clara St. John, was raised in Durham and considers it her home even though she currently lives in Raeford in Hoke County. This is where most of her family lives. Before settling in North Carolina, she lived in Germany, Texas, Kansas, and Florida because her husband was in the U.S. Army. Working as a nurse for the Veterans Administration, she eventually retired in 2014 for the next chapter in her life.
Clara’s journey to Chapel Hill was a long one, having initially been misdiagnosed with myasthenia gravis when her eyes were not healing correctly after cataract surgery. She was eventually referred to a Raleigh neurosurgeon who then sent her to UNC Hospitals for further tests. Diagnosed with a benign tumor near her brain, Clara stayed with us for about six weeks while receiving radiation treatments at UNC Hospitals to shrink the inoperable tumor.
Asked what staying at our hospitality house meant to her, Clara shared “To be honest, I enjoy helping Mercedes (recently retired housekeeper) fold laundry. I like staying busy. I take walks. Everything is awesome here. I’ve made some friends and have been able to listen to their stories. Some felt like giving up but I tell them not to. You have to have faith that everything will be all right.”
Having gotten to know Clara, we have every reason to believe that she too, has every reason to keep the faith as she looks forward to a rich retirement, and spending time with beloved family and friends.
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