Joan Cashin would probably be surprised to learn that friends, neighbors, and family had set up a foundation to further the ideals she stood for. She considered herself just an "everyday person." In fact, her life was very basic in many ways. She was baptized, received First Communion, was confirmed, married, and ultimately had her Funeral Mass all in the same church — just two city blocks from the house in which she was born.
However, Joan's positive influence traveled far beyond her immediate reach. Upon her death, one neighbor, responding to Joan's self-evaluation as an "everyday person," said that Joan was "everyday in the same way that the sun is an everyday event. She warmed those around her with her smile and her caring. Her example helped others see better what they could and should do. Her steadfastness inspired hope in all who knew her."
For much of her life, Joan Cashin served in the health care field. At various times she was the Head Nurse of an Intensive Care Unit, a Cardiac Care Unit, a Post-Op Unit, and other areas where patient needs are most intense, as are the demands on the caregiver's skills.
Though her administrative talents were exceptional, that's not what made Joan special. She was very much a hands-on caregiver — staying late for her patients, fighting on their behalf, and grieving when she lost one. Joan was the first to respond to a cry, to ask before being called, and to stop to chat when a patient looked lonely or frightened. The impact was great, and some grateful patients maintained contact for years.
Even when Multiple Sclerosis ended her career, she did not give in. She continued to help and inspire others for nearly eighteen years — losing mobility, but never her smile nor her caring nature. In her final two-year struggle with cancer, her lifelong role was somewhat reversed. Now it was the caregivers who were cheered and inspired by Joan, in her new role as a dying patient whose body and bones might break, but her spirit never would.
It was in Joan's death that all of us realized how far her influence and inspiration had reached. Over one thousand gestures of sympathy and condolence poured in from all across the country. Even those who had never met Joan and had only heard of her from others were moved. Among these, John Cardinal O'Connor and Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity sent particularly eloquent tributes to Joan's struggle and example. Everyone whose life was even partially touched by Joan was moved. From the postman to the newspaper boy to even the garbage man — all were moved by the lady with the wonderful smile and the encouraging word for everyone.
That's why we banded together to form the Joan Cashin Foundation. It is dedicated to assisting those organizations that show the helpful, caring, encouraging traits that were Joan. We are happy that your efforts meet those ideals.
