30 Jan $35,000 donation to support the O’Keefe Family

From everyone at the Durkin Foundation, we are proud to announce that we have made a $35,000 donation to support the O’Keefe Family. The O’Keefe’s are lifelong “Lowellians” who have made tremendous impacts on the local community. They have been extremely selfless, helping wherever they can, whether it was taking in a child in need, coach boxing or keeping the community safe as a Lowell Police Officer. Now they are in need of our assistance due to the impact of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Donna O’Keefe is the matriarch of the family and has been the primary caregiver since 2007 for her sister who has an intellectual disability. Although difficult, Donna and the O’Keefe family have provided as much love and support as they possible could for her as they took her in to live with them full time. Donna’s caregiving has expanded however after her husband “Mickey” was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Aphasia. This is a form of dementia that slowly erodes one’s ability to communicate. The neurodegenerative disease is caused by Alzheimer’s Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration and it is a fast acting disease with normal life expectancy of less than ten years. With Mickey’s recent decline,  the O’Keefe’s have needed to bring on a full time caretaker to assist Donna while she is a server at the Owl Dinner in Lowell .

The tremendous expense has left the O’Keefe’s in need of financial support due to the increased cost and  amount of around the clock care. Mickey deserves the best care he can get and the Durkin Foundation is proud to step in and support the O’Keefe Family in their time of need.  We will be providing funding for Mickey’s caretaker services for the entire year. We are so honored to support this family who has done so much for the community and now it is time for the community to give back to them.