KarunaNews Story

Eighteen caregivers at a Pennsylvania retirement community walked into work this past fall to discover that resident Eva Lu Damianos, 90, had been secretly painting their portraits for months. After Eva broke her leg over the summer, her doctor ordered her to refrain from standing on it for 10 weeks. The team at Longwood at Oakmont’s nursing center -- the nurses, aides, and therapists were “very patient, very upbeat, always pleasant” during her recovery — so she took their pictures and saved them for when she was able to paint again. After moving from a wheelchair to a walker, she spent two months completing the portraits. By the time they were all complete, the team had mostly forgotten about the pictures she’d taken. “They came over and said how much they really enjoyed their portraits," she said. “And I feel that they’re like friends now. They give me hugs, I give them hugs, and it’s just very, very nice.”