By LOU WHEELAND

Special to The Press

The Lehigh County Office of Aging and Adult Services sponsored its 23rd annual Tribute to Unsung Heroes May 17 at Fellowship Community, Whitehall Township.

Eighteen older individuals and one group were recognized for their time and talents to support others in their communities.

The presentations were made by Executive Director of the Lehigh County Office of Aging and Adult Services Clayton Reed Jr., county Executive Phillips Armstrong, and Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging Jason Kavulich.

This tribute, in honor of Older Americans Month, celebrates older adults in the Lehigh Valley who have displayed exceptional generosity with their time and talents to enrich the lives of others in the community.

Each honoree received a certificate from Lehigh County Aging and Adult Services, a certificate from the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, and citations from their local legislators.

They also received a book on the history of Lehigh County, an Unsung Hero pin, and Unsung Hero yard sign and flowers.

Susan Kenna-Farkas, of Weisenberg Township, was one of the 18 honored as an Unsung Hero.

According to her tribute written by Roberta Nicolazzi and Lauren Bauer, Lehigh County Aging and Adult Services:

“Five years ago, Susan B. Kenna-Farkas saw a man walking alongside a busy road in Fogelsville. He appeared disheveled and unkempt.

“She could see open wounds on his lower legs. She thought he could be homeless.

“She would drive past him daily. She is a registered nurse and felt a need to stop and check in on him.

“Initially, he dismissed her and would not speak with her. She had to eventually earn his trust by making frequent stops over a few days.

“Susan learned that this man had an apartment nearby and he walked daily to work at a local fast-food restaurant.

“While most people would have kept driving, she stopped and offered to check on him and give him a ride home.

“Susan soon learned the open wounds on his legs were not healing because he stopped going to the wound care center. The wounds had been there for several years before she met him.

“This man had difficulty taking the bus from Fogelsville to Allentown. Even though Susan was already busy caring for her own family and working full-time, she started driving him to the wound care center in downtown Allentown three times per week so he could receive the care he needed.

“As Susan was building a rapport with Glenn, she was able to visit his apartment. She found he had no furniture and was sleeping on the floor with trash and old mail.

“Susan and her husband helped him get furniture, a TV and a microwave. They provided him with a cellphone and added him to their family plan.

“She had to teach him how to use the phone, as he had never had one before.

“Susan learned Glenn has a terrible fear around strangers, so much so he shakes with tremors.

“She initially thought he may have had Parkinson’s disease. She arranged numerous medical appointments and took him for testing, only to learn Glenn had signs of an old stroke and the onset of dementia.

“Doctors also suspected he may be on the autism spectrum.

“Over the years, Susan continued taking Glenn to all his doctor’s appointments. She continued taking him to the wound care center three times a week, then two times a week, then once a week.

“When the doctor recommended wound care be moved to the home with VNA nurses, Susan offered and completed all the wound care herself.

“She knew of Glenn’s fear of strangers coming into his home and wanted to put him at ease. She also advocated for him to obtain a wound vac machine for home use.

“If it was not for Susan, he may have lost his leg.

“Susan did not stop there. She helped him apply for unemployment and Social Security benefits during the pandemic.

“Her husband also stepped in to assist with securing and overseeing his finances.

“She arranged for home-delivered meals though Meals on Wheels to ensure he eats a nutritional meal, and she frequently brings him homemade food.

“She bought him clothes, a coat, hat and gloves, and taught him how to use the washer and dryer in his building.

“It is now five years from when Susan first pulled over to check on this man on the side of the road.

“Susan continues to help him with medication management, life skills, managing the apartment and his affairs.

“She is currently trying to develop a long-term plan for him now that his wounds are fully healed, but his dementia continues to decline.

“When Susan was approached about this nomination, she was reluctant to accept.

“I am just doing God’s work,” she said.

Susan is truly a kind, humble and empathetic person, which is why we nominated her for the Unsung Hero recognition award.

“A quote by Ronald Reagan: ‘We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help sometimes.’

Susan is a fine example of how one person can make a significant impact on a person’s life.”