It's been a wet and windy couple of days in Northern California. Reports are that more that 8 inches of rain has fallen in the Saratoga Hills in the past 36 hours! We need the rain...and since residents of Our Lady of Fatima Villa and safe and dry, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!

Our Saratoga Rotary Medical Mission, led by Our Lady of Fatima CEO Bella Mahoney, arrives in Caconde, Brazil on a humanitarian mission to deliver hospital beds to a senior center.

Our Medical Mission Team, headed by our CEO Bella Mahoney, is making its way to the small Brazilian village where the Team will deliver hospital beds. They stopped at this unique spot which shares three borders!

Our Lady of Fatima Villa is beginning a refurbishing project that will include new carpeting and furniture in many common areas. Staff and residents were shown the initial design selections by Britney Gamble, a representative from Perkins Eastman, a nationally known firm that specializes in senior care facility furnishings. The San Francisco-based firm will be responsible for a new updated look for our Saratoga care facility.

Angela Gemmataft, known by our staff and many others as Gigi, is a happy success story. She has just returned home after a two month stay in our St. Rose Rehabilitation wing. She has many compliments for our staff and particularly our therapists. Gigi came to Our Lady of Fatima Villa after a 2 ½ week stay in the hospital where she was admitted to the emergency room for a combination of septic shock and kidney stones. During her hospitalization, she gained weight and lost the use of her legs and was unable to walk.

Julie Babicka is our newest LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse). “I love our residents”, she says…and she has only been here one month! She also says, “I am so happy to be working here, at a 5-Star Senior Care facility. I am learning so much and everyone is so helpful.” Julie’s smile underscores her feelings! Julie comes to Our Lady of Fatima from Nursing School. She has her Phlebotomy license and did an externship at UCSF. She graduated from DeAnza and Unitek Nursing School. We are happy to have Julie join our extended family. Please give her a warm welcome when you see her in the halls!

Our Medical Mission Team, headed by Our Lady of Fatima Villa CEO Bella Mahoney had a two day stopover in Rio on their way to deliver hospital beds to a Brazilian Senior Center. On January 29, at 5:30 a.m. the team left Cusco for Rio de Janeiro. Cusco to Lima to Sao Paolo to Rio de Janeiro arriving at 12:30a.m. Don't they look chipper after 19 hours of airplanes and airports? We wish them safe travels and a successful trip!

We hear from our Team en route to deliver hospital beds to seniors in Brazil that the hike to Machu Picchu is not for the faint of heart! But our Team members would not be discouraged...they suited up, ready for any weather and started the climb to the famous ruin. On the way they found this plaque from a local Rotary Club. Our Mission is sponsored by the Saratoga Rotary Club, so this was a welcome and happy sight. Did they make it to the top??? Check back and we'll let you know!

The Medical Mission to deliver hospital beds to seniors is well on its way. The Team stopped to hike to Machu Picchu -- here they are on the train to start the hike on the IncaTrail.

Everyone at Our Lady of Fatima Villa is proud of our CEO, Bella Mahoney, for her dedication and purpose in delivering medical supplies to a needy senior center in Brazil. Bella and the rest of her team are en route to the remote village. Bella continues the compassion and dedication for senior care in the Dominican tradition -- the principals Our Lady of Fatima Villa was founded upon.