Nothing can stop our October Aide of the Month, Carol Stonesifer, from doing her best every day. Not even the C word—cancer.
Carol Stonesifer is the type of person who just keeps going. In 2009, when the factory she had worked at for 23 years closed, she found a way to move forward. After taking some time off, she bravely started a new career in home care. She began working for CCOR in 2010 and has been serving our clients faithfully since then. “I just keep working,” she says. “I enjoy working, just helping people out.”
Carol is known for her upbeat attitude, friendly nature, and unbeatable work ethic. “Something I’m best at is when somebody calls and I drop what I‘m doing and go to work.” She shows up and gets the job done, no matter. Even throughout her ordeal with cancer, Carol never stopped working.
In November of 2019, Carol received a bombshell—she was diagnosed with cancer. “When you’re first diagnosed, it’s a hard word to get out of your mouth. And knowing that Farah Fawcett had it and she’s not here anymore... And it happened around the holidays, so I had to take it upon myself to wait until after Christmas to tell people. You know, that’s a big secret to keep. I wouldn’t want to ruin anybody’s holiday. That’s how I am.” What followed were rounds of tests and a lot of sleepless nights, all while keeping her diagnosis to herself.
Carol began eight weeks of radiation treatment on New Year’s Eve, finishing in February and working consistently throughout. At first, the treatments were easy to handle, but halfway through, it became painful to walk. Carol, however, was unstoppable. “If I can move,” she says “I’m going to work. I’ll work til I can’t work no more.”
In addition to her stellar work ethic, Carol genuinely enjoys her job. “I love knowing that I’m helping people to stay in their homes, to keep them motivated, to do everyday living skills with them.” Keeping her clients company, taking them out in public, and making sure they’re safe are what keep her going. “I enjoy doing what I’m doing. If you didn’t, you shouldn’t be doing that profession.”
Life can throw curve balls now and then, like a cancer diagnosis or a career change, but it’s people like Carol who don’t let those obstacles stop them. She finds a way to keep going and keep doing her best, no matter what.