Dorothy’s Story

Site created on October 26, 2019

Hello Friends and Family,
I am hopeful this will be a good way to keep you all informed  about what's happening with my mom, and also for you to send your Well Wishes.  As I write this from my home in Minneapolis, there are still many unanswered questions that we all hope to get answered later this week.

Many of you know that my mom has not been feeling well for a good part of this year. It's true that it can sometimes be a nuanced discerning of what's 'aging body' aches and pains, and what is a health matter that needs attention.  So the investigation has been a slow and progressive. Her health team has explored all of the major bodily functions, including her heart, to understand what's happening. Earlier this fall she was having discomfort breathing combined with exhaustion; it was first thought to be pneumonia. She had very minimal improvement in response to multiple antibiotic treatments which led to further labs, tests, scans, etc., and then the discovery of a 4.5cm malignant mass on her left lung.  Her medical team has used various scans (CT, MRI, PET, etc.) to conduct a thorough assessment of other compromised places in the body. Most recently, on 10/25, she had a bone marrow biopsy on cancer cells discovered in her left hip, which she had complaints of pain in for some time.  On Halloween morning, my mother will have surgery to remove a malignant mass from her left lung (yes, she finally quit smoking this summer). We will know more about the treatment direction for the hip after the surgery. I will be arriving on Wednesday and hope to get a fuller sense of my mother's health status.

At present, she has requested no visitors at the hospital on Thursday. She has also requested, carrot cake, banana pudding and bread pudding. I will let you know when visits or desserts are in order.

With deep deep gratitude for all your prayers and loving care.
Stacy McClendon 

Newest Update

Day of Remembrance

Journal entry by Stacy McClendon —

  “Racial healing starts with a change of the heart,” Dorothy McClendon
The Battle Creek Coalition for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) is hosting the inaugural Dorothy McClendon Day on Friday, June 18th from 6 to 8 pm at Leila Arboretum by the Kaleidoscope Garden.

Community members are invited to drive, walk, or roll through Leila Arboretum to greet their Battle Creek neighbors and receive TRHT-inspired gifts, thanks to local sponsors.

Attendees will be invited to decorate a tree that will be planted in Dorothy’s memory with their response to the prompt, “To me, racial healing means...” written on red hearts. The hearts will be tied to the tree.

With music to set a festive atmosphere, there will be birthday cake to celebrate the joy and kinship in coming together in Dorothy’s memory for racial healing. Dorothy’s family and community leaders will speak, starting at 6:30 pm. The event will also be live streamed on TRHT’s Facebook page.

Guests will leave this free event ready to plant their own seeds for change - in the form of actual flower seeds, as well as TRHT decals, pens, yard signs, and celebratory cake. RSVP on Facebook    
This annual recognition will honor Dorothy’s life and legacy. A passionate visionary, social worker, and community leader who passed away in 2020, Dorothy was a fierce contributor to racial equity and healing work. She was a founding member of the Battle Creek Coalition for TRHT and the Sacred Conversations Book Club. She also served on the board of the Battle Creek Community Foundation and was a faithful member of Second Missionary Baptist Church for more than three decades. Dorothy laughed easily and made fast friends everywhere she went. Her curiosity about exploring anything new--a book, a friend, a recipe or restaurant--was one of her defining traits, and made her a fearless leader. 
 
When grounded in empathy and oriented towards equity and liberation, racial healing has restorative and affirming power, rooted in our shared humanity and inherent value. After this past year, our need for collective healing, accountability, and racial justice is historic. We are called to act now. 
Interested in volunteering? Please email BCTRHT@gmail.com
  Donate to TRHT
Read More of the journal titled "Day of Remembrance"
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