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How can I help family I don't live close to?


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I just got off the phone with my sister, she lives an 18 hour drive away from me. Both her little girls (2 & 3) have pneumonia and strep right now! They are all miserable. My BIL is in the Coast Guard and is at sea right now for another 5 days. They are at a small station and one of only 3 families, but both other families have older children. I told her to call one of those wives and ask for some help. Even just picking up a prescription or brining her McDonalds for dinner! There's a chance she'll be heading back to the hospital for the 3 year old soon as she can't keep her antibiotics down. I think she wants to put off calling for help until she's at her breaking point, but I know her breaking point would be a lot further off if she had some help! I would love to be able to send her a few meals or something, but I can't think of a way to do that from so far. Anyone know of any ideas? This is the part I hate the most about them being so far away:crying:

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Where are they? Are their restaurants that deliver there? How about groceries that deliver? You could do either of these without being there. Also, do you know where they attend church, if they do? I would consider calling the church and letting them know. Churches usually have people willing to help with meals, transportation, emergency babysitting, etc. But tell us where she is. Maybe someone here is close by and could help.

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You are a good sister.

 

Does she have other friends in the area? Could you contact one of them and send some money to that friend to pick up dinner for them? Is there anywhere that delivers pizza or anything? Could you pick up a few snack items and send them to her, so that she's got trail mix, granola bars, fruit, stuff like that if she has to go back to the hospital?

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I know around here people get deliveries by Schwann's (you can google it) from relatives who want to help them out. I don't know that it's ready to eat, but I think it's at least ready to throw in the oven.

 

HTH!

 

(It's great that you want to help her out!!)

 

Mama Anna

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Oh, what a good sister/friend!

 

I've had luck calling the small store near my parents, I spoke with the manager and offered to pay a taxi to deliver, but he offered to walk it over himself. Even if you don't have *that* kind of luck, if you speak to people in the area they might have similar ideas. I was talking to a florist who mentioned that a local woman made and delivered food near my grandparents so I could do that a few times.

 

The internet is great, but you might also have luck on the phone.

 

Remember when "Let your fingers do the talking!" used to mean calling, rather than internet?

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do you have amazon prime?

What about some DVD's to entertain the kids.

When they're sick and little the best thing is distraction! Movies, little toys (nothing that will cause meltdowns from frustraion), a neat disney throw to cuddle under... that would help ALOT!

 

If the kids are distracted, mom can take a shower, relax...

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Any supermarket chains that does delivery to her area would be good for door to door delivery of microwaveable food and maybe pedialyte for the strep throat. Smoothies in a suckable pack form are easy food for the kids too.

 

Supermarkets are typically next day delivery.

 

Local diners that do delivery would be great for immediate delivery. Any leftovers your sister can re-heat.

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Thank you everyone for the wonderful ideas. I didn't feel comfortable calling BIL's station since my sister didn't, but after brainstorming for a bit about people who are close, I decided to call the daycare she uses. I was able to find one of their 'teachers' who works afterhours babysitting for extra income, and she was so amazing and wonderful to go help out on my promise of sending her a check. I also found a supermarket/deli that was willing to deliver this evening. I think I'll be sending pizza tomorrow, for some reason I never thought about ordering that from online! Thank you again for all the wonderful ideas!

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