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• Every 13 seconds an older adult is bought Dot her very first pair in 2013
treated in the hospital for a fall. hoping to help her mom with her bal-
ance and fall prevention. Ever since
• Every 20 minutes an older adult dies then, she has not fallen once! She has
from a fall. 18 pairs to this point, all with matching
outfits and an unbelievable collection
• In 2013 the cost of fall injuries was of multi-colored shoestrings to change
$34 billion, with an outlook of over out, depending on the occasion. She
$67 billion in 2020. even has a special gold pair with polka
dots that she wears to church. She has
• In 2013, about 25,500 older received 14 pair from her daughter and
adults died from unintentional fall grandkids for birthdays and Mother’s
injuries, 2.5 million were treated in Day and special holidays. Because of
emergency departments for nonfatal such generosity from her family, she
falls, and more than 734,000 were has only bought herself four pair in all
hospitalized. these years.
Dot is an amazing 93 year old lady who Dot has an amazing vigor for life and
swears by her Converse sneakers as the she says, “the shoes have helped me go
reason she has not taken another fall. and spread happiness to others, as they
Before purchasing Converse sneakers, are great conversation starters. Every-
she had fallen twice, hitting her head, where I go, people tell me they love
and one time fracturing a small bone in my shoes and they just seem to make
her nose, but luckily not breaking any people smile.” As you can tell, Dot is
major bones. The second time she fell, a treasure to be around and she is an
she tripped when she was leaving her inspiration to all.
“shift” at The Ronald McDonald House
in Chapel Hill where she is the oldest Submitted by Laura Martin, Certified
Senior Advisor at Bartlett Reserve
volunteer on 300 Meredith Drive
record, still vol- Durham, NC 27713
unteering today, 919-361-1234
about two hours www.bartlettreserve.com
a week. She has
been volunteer-
ing there since
she was 82 years
old, eleven years.
Her daughter
