Page 27 - NVNA Call to Grace 2020

Two Birthdays
100 YEARS
Mary McCartin, mother of eight, celebrated her 100th birthday on March 8th, 2020 with 100 guests at her party. Who would guess that the very next week the COVID-19 crisis would lock down the region?
Meanwhile, NVNA and Hospice nurse Mary Salvaggio visited regularly for wellness checks as often as it was deemed safe to do so. The two have a special bond, and not just because they share a first name. “Just to talk to her and hear all the stories she has is amazing,” says Salvaggio, while McCartin enthuses, “I love all my NVNA nurses, and to show how much I appreciate them, I always give them a hug to say ‘thank you.’”
McCartin and her late husband, a former Coast Guard officer and Boston Police officer, raised their big family on the South Shore. He was often away on duty in their early years and so Mary would take charge of the household, cooking and cleaning for her entire family. “I wouldn’t change a thing,” she says. “Whether you have a family of one or, if you’re like me, a family of ten, you can get all the love you need, and that’s all that really matters.”
“Whether in the office or on the road visiting patients like Mary, I couldn’t ask for a better work environment. Our patients come first and we give 100% to them every day.” Mary Salvaggio, RN
Mary McCartin receiving care from NVNA and Hospice nurse Mary Salvaggio
McCartin, who lives in her own home with her black cat, Kitty, considers herself “strong, independent, and stubborn.” She still makes herself breakfast and lunch every day and appreciates the services of a caregiver to help with dinner and other needs at home. She enjoys outings with her children, shopping for groceries, and especially going out to lunch.
Asked for her secret to 100 years, McCartin says, “You have to work at it... And, love!” n
Call to Grace | 2020 | NVNA.org 25