The Ladies Auxiliary of the Fraternal Order of Eagles donated $10,000 to the Rumford Hospital cardiac rehab unit Friday evening. From left are Tammy Berry; Sharon Gates; Becky Hall, director of nursing; Mary MacDonald, president of Rumford Fraternal Order of Eagles Auxiliary, Diane O’Leary, state charity chairwoman; Cindy MacDonald; Delanie Strout; Carolyn Perry, Fraternal Order of Eagles State Mother of the Year; and Peter M. MacDonald II. (Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times)
RUMFORD — The Ladies Auxiliary of the Fraternal Order of Eagles has donated $10,000 to the Rumford Hospital cardiac rehab unit in honor of an 18-year-old who died of a heart ailment.
“Last year, I was state president of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Ladies Auxiliary, and each year, the state president has a charity of her choice that all the auxiliaries in the state raise money for,” Auxiliary President Mary MacDonald said.
She said last year was the fifth anniversary of the death of her nephew, Brandon MacDonald of Greene, “and I wanted to do something to honor him. He was at work one morning and told his boss he didn’t feel good. He turned around and he dropped. He was gone. He was 18 years old.”
MacDonald said Brandon was getting ready to further his career in law enforcement at Central Maine Community College in Auburn.
“Because he passed away from an undetected heart issue, I wanted to do something for him along that line, so that’s why I chose the cardiac rehab unit here at the hospital,” she said.
MacDonald said she also has a friend who suffered a severe heart attack and came to Rumford Hospital for his rehab. “And now the man is able to do nine rounds of golf every day because of this wonderful unit.”
She said the Eagles auxiliaries in the state, aided by private donations, raised $5,000. They applied for a grant to the Grand Fraternal Order of Eagles, which matched the $5,000.
Brandon’s mother, Cindy MacDonald, was present for the donation Friday.
“This is wonderful,” she said. “Brandon would be very happy that we’re doing this in his honor. He’d be ecstatic. It’s going to a good cause. That’s what it’s all about.”
Director of Nursing Becky Hall said equipment purchased with donations is labeled so people know who made it possible.
What type of equipment will be purchased with the $10,000 has not been determined.
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