Mary's Story

They meet every Monday night.  Religiously. Six women - mostly widows - and a deck of cards...

They meet every Monday night.  Religiously. Six women - mostly widows - and a deck of cards. Lively conversation drifts around the table as they engage in Konga and Athanasi, two Greek games similar to hearts and rummy.

Mary Mandanis is one of those widows, having lost Nick, her husband of 34 years. After Nick’s death she had adjusted to living on her own, spending time with friends, attending church, and even going back to work for the first time since her two children were born many years earlier.  Until a serious car accident in 1999 dramatically changed her life.

After being airlifted to the hospital, Mary found out that she had sustained a C4/C5 spinal cord injury.  She recalled the months following the injury when life was a matter of relearning even the simplest tasks. “I couldn’t do anything for myself. I couldn’t brush my teeth or put on my makeup or do my hair.”

While the rehabilitation process was slow and painstaking, Mary learned how to manage with her paralysis on a day-to-day basis. While her daily routine now involves attendants to help with dressing, bathing, and household chores, over time she has become more proficient with the limited use of her hands. “I used to have a special fork with a big sponge on it that made it easier to hold. Then I left it in a restaurant, so now I just use a regular fork,” she said.

Once an attendant gets her up for the day, Mary devours the daily newspaper, which her daughter Heather claims she reads front to back. Her particular passion in the news is anything about Carolina sports.

And while she is still a regular at the Monday night card games, her place at the table looks a little different. In front of her sits a special wooden rack, crafted by a recreational therapist when she was at the rehabilitation hospital. “The slits in the rack hold up to ten cards for me at a time,” explaining the simple piece of woodwork that makes card playing possible after her injury. “I couldn’t hold the cards without it; it’s been a wonderful help.”