Robin and Neal Novotny were in their 60s and caring for Robin’s 97-year-old mother when they turned to Hebrew Free Loan. Robin’s mother was a powerhouse in her time — Chief of Radiology at the University of Illinois Medical Center — who continued to work part-time after she retired. Yet eventually her health declined, and in her final years she developed dementia. Her assets ran out, and Robin and Neal were scraping the bottom of the barrel to give Robin’s mother the 24-hour-care she needed.
The couple drained their own retirement accounts and eventually refinanced their home, but it still wasn’t enough. Then Neal was laid off from his marketing job early in the pandemic, and they didn’t know how they were going to keep a roof over their heads and continue providing for Robin’s mother. That’s when they came to us for an interest-free health care loan.
“It was rough going at times, but Hebrew Free Loan saved us. The impact has been more than just financial. The kindness and generosity we experienced lifted us up in ways that no amount of money ever could. Knowing we weren’t cut off and left to struggle alone kept us from giving in to despair.”
Robin’s mother lasted longer than any of her medical team thought possible, dying in hospice care at home just after she turned 100. Robin and Neal take comfort in knowing that they gave her the best care they could for as long as she needed it. And while the financial strain was immense, the blessing of having Robin’s mother in their life all those years was equally powerful.
All of us who met Robin and Neal were struck by the courage and dignity with which they faced what was in front of them. We admired their determination to be there for Robin’s mother and the grace with which they carried the financial strain of it. And we’re grateful that Hebrew Free Loan could play a small part in making sure that Robin’s mother lived out her final years surrounded by comfort and love.
