MAYVILLE - Jim and Ruth Stacy suffered various forms of misfortune this fall, which left them unable to complete their household tasks. Their neighbors came to their assistance in their time of need.
Stacy suffered a couple of falls, the second of which left him incontinent. The falls hurt his shoulder, buttocks and head.
"We have been housebound and unable to do the tasks here," Stacy said. Their neighbors, retirees Ron and Shirley Saeli, have completed those tasks.
"Ron has helped us in many ways. He does so many tasks with a smile," Mrs. Stacy said. "Shirley has brought us good food, drives Jim to the doctor and gets whatever is needed in a cheerful manner."
For the Saelis, assisting their neighbors was a no-brainer. "They had a lot of bad luck. Their car wouldn't start. Their bathroom flooded. It seeped from the upstairs to the downstairs," Mrs. Saeli said. "I didn't even think about the need to help. We just did it. Others help out too on this street."
"It was just a neighborly thing to do," added Saeli. "All of Mayville is really like that. They all pitch in and help. Jim and Ruth have been great neighbors too."
The neighborly assistance started with a singular occasion, but has never stopped, Stacy said. "Ron was helping me out with something, and he asked if there was anything else he could do. I said, 'Why, yes. There is.' The shower needed fixing, and he was able to fix it. Shirley takes me to Westfield to see the surgeon, and she took Ruth to the dentist. It really has helped out a lot. We don't have to worry about the trash collection because Ron does the whole thing. They're great neighbors."
By helping their neighbors, the Saelis believe they have gained something they didn't have before. "One thing that has been great is we've gotten to know them a lot better," Mrs. Saeli said. "It keeps us busy. We're going to keep helping out."
The Stacys will continue to feel grateful.
"Our worries certainly did come in bunches. I think we've been blessed by having them as our neighbors," Mrs. Stacy said. "The Saelis set an example for all to follow. They are special in every way."
"We've lived in about 11 different places, but we've never been in this nice a place," Stacy added. "We've never had neighbors like this."