Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Grandparents Taking on the Toughest Job
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-04-30 09:51:00-04:00
| Grandfamilies, like the Py family , featured on a recent special episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," are the reason the AARP Foundation's Grandparents Information Center (GIC) is an essential resource. The GIC provides grandparents challenged with raising grandchildren with information on legal, financial and health issues that they may not be aware of. |
The Py Family Story
Having raised four girls of their own and put each through college, 60-year-old "Grandpop" William Py and his 57-year-old wife, "Grandma" Carole, were looking forward to retirement. But life had something else in store for them. In l997 Grandpop and Grandma, a couple who enjoyed spoiling their grandkids but who also liked the idea that they could send the children home to their own parents after fun visits, would have their lives shattered by the first of two tragedies that would befall this closely-knit family. In July of that year, their son-in-law, José Rosario, 33, died unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm. José left behind his wife, Sharon Py Rosario, a breast cancer survivor, and three young children, William, Samantha and José, or "Joey."
Devastated by their loss, Sharon and her children returned home to be with her parents, Grandpop and Grandma, who welcomed them with open, loving arms. Not long after, though, Sharon discovered that her breast cancer was back. Only 14 months after losing her husband, 28-year-old Sharon lost her own life. Her children were suddenly orphans.
Grandpop and Grandma Py were not about to turn their backs on their grandkids. The hard-working couple -- who had often wondered how they would be able to live a financially comfortable life of retirement before the added responsibilities that caring for their orphaned grandkids would bring -- faced the harsh reality that things would be even tougher as they headed into the future.
Complicating matters was the discovery that their house was contaminated by asbestos and lead. Realizing that both can cause severe medical problems, Grandpop and Grandma Py wondered and worried how they might find the money needed to rid their house of these hazards.
In this episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition the design team helped this loving family have the safe and beautiful home they so richly deserve.
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Every Sunday night, millions of Americans tune in to see ABC's warm-your-heart reality TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which features a talented team of homebuilders who construct houses for families with special needs.
On Sunday, April 30th in a special double-episode, the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition crew builds a home for William and Carole Py of Philadelphia, an extraordinary pair of grandparents who are raising their orphaned grandchildren.
Unfortunately, the situation faced by the Py Family is increasingly common. Today, more and more grandparents are taking on the role of childrearing. These situations pose special challenges for grandparents, who often have limited sources of income like the grandfamily seen on the April 30th episode of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. That's why AARP Foundation is providing more resources to aid grandfamilies like the Py Family through its Grandparents Information Center (GIC). The GIC provides valuable information about how to receive help from state and federal programs.
In addition, AARP also offers valuable information concerning better home design for seniors, which the Extreme Home Makeover crew also incorporated into the Py Family's new home. Simple design elements can dramatically improve the day-to-day life of a senior, and help prevent injuries.
Learn more about the services provided by the AARP Foundation Grandparents Information Center and about universal design features.
The AARP Foundation is the charitable arm of AARP. Established in 1961, the mission of the AARP Foundation is to build a society in which everyone ages with independence, dignity and purpose. Every year, the AARP Foundation's programs and direct services help millions of people - whether they are members or not - remain in control and independent as they age. To learn more about how to support these efforts, click here.
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