"Marisa Carlini has spent her life helping others. The 64-year-old Santa Clara resident grew up with a nurse as a mom and decided to pursue the same profession. Yet, she didn't do it simply because being a nurse ran in the family, but because a compassion toward others is a big part of who she is. "I love to take care of people - to listen to people," says Carlini, gazing around her home from her wheelchair."
""The pain was gone," she remarks from the home she shares with two dogs, two birds and son Matteo. Losing her leg, however, changed pretty much every aspect of her life and threatened the independence that she had long enjoyed. Now, seemingly simple things - such as changing an overhead light bulb - were tasks that required the assistance of others. "The help I would give others, now I have to take," she says."
"Heart of the Valley's roots stretch back to the mid-1980s, when the Santa Clara Methodist Retirement Foundation built a pair of HUD-funded housing complexes that provided low-income rent for seniors. Founder Austin Warburton soon realized, however, that there was more work to be done and came up with a plan to provide volunteer services to low-income seniors throughout West Santa Clara Valley."
Marisa Carlini, a 64-year-old Santa Clara nurse, had her left leg amputated in late 2024 after five years of severe leg problems and four failed surgeries. The amputation eliminated her pain but reduced her independence and made everyday tasks difficult. Heart of the Valley began in the mid-1980s from HUD-funded senior housing efforts and expanded into volunteer services. The organization provides transportation, handyman work, yardwork, tech support, companionship, and other assistance to help seniors remain independent. Heart of the Valley serves more than 250 seniors aged 62 and up across West Santa Clara Valley, with about half in Santa Clara.
Read at The Mercury News
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