$28K Raised To Move 87-Year-Old With Dementia Into New Home

NORTH PORT, FL — With 87-year-old Zyggy Szymczak staring down homelessness, it took the North Port community just a few weeks to raise around $28,000 to purchase and move him into a new trailer.

Until mid-December, though, the aging Polish concert pianist, who was diagnosed with dementia, didn’t have many options. For decades, he’d lived at Myakka River Park at the intersection of U.S. 41 and River Road, but the trailer park had a new owner with redevelopment plans.

Not only that, but the rundown park was also an unsightly and dangerous place for anyone to live. There wasn’t any running water and those who remained on the property in recent months — Szymczak included — were squatting.

Then, in mid-December, he met Justin Willis, a business development manager for CarePatrol in Southwest Florida. In his line of work, Willis is used to assisting seniors with dementia by helping them move into assisted living facilities and memory care units.

Szymczak is a different story. Though he is often forgetful — as his memory wanes, he often forgets how to speak English — he wants to remain as independent as possible.

He also isn’t one of Willis’ clients. Instead, Willis devoted his free time to helping Szymczak find a home.

“I just inherited a new Polish grandfather,” Willis said.

In less than two weeks, he rallied the community through GoFundMe, fundraising concerts and other donation requests to raise the $28,000 needed to purchase a new trailer for Szymczak. The money has also been used to pay his lot fee and utilities for a year.

Even as the fundraising gained momentum, though, Szymczak’s move nearly didn’t happen.

First, police found Szymczak wandering along River Road and brought him to Sarasota Memorial Hospital Jan. 2. In addition to dementia, he also had an irregular heartbeat and other minor issues, Willis said.

Willis had a difficult time getting him released, though. Since he’s not a relative and has no authority over Szymczak, he was unable to visit him or even advocate for him in the hospital.

“I was not allowed to contact him. I was refused visitation. I wasn’t even allowed inside the hospital,” he said. “Overnight I went from being this man’s only advocate to being blocked from him.”

Szymczak also had communication issues with hospital staff, since he mostly speaks Polish, Willis added.

Willis didn’t give up though, reaching out to anyone he thought could help: local attorneys, local Polish doctors — Dr. Mateusz Zagata and Dr. Elizabeth Pulawski — State Attorney Ed Brodsky, the Polish-American Association of Sarasota and even the Polish consulate.

“It was mind-blowing to have all these different people and offices come together for Zyggy,” Willis said.

As they worked to get him released, Willis was also busy trying to find a trailer for the pianist. One trailer after another fell through for various reasons ranging from financing issues to the sellers shying away from the complicated back story.

Finally, they found the perfect trailer — “It is the epitome of perfection. It is the right color, the right style, the right size,” Willis said. — and signed the contract the day before Szymczak was finally released from the hospital.

New friends and volunteers packed up much of his belongings — including his pride and joy, a baby grand piano – and moved them into his new trailer.

When Szymczak left the hospital Jan. 8, he and Willis briefly stopped at his old trailer to pick up a few remaining belongings, and then he was brought to his new home for the first time.

His first reaction?

“'Why am I here?’" Willis said. “Then, he told us how much he loved the color.”

Szymczak became emotional when he saw his baby grand piano inside the trailer. He sat down and played as guests came and went, and he didn’t stop until nearly 2 a.m., Willis said.

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On his first full day in his new home, the community continued to support him. His neighbor brought him a home-cooked breakfast and “a train of Polish people” came through, Willis said. They didn’t know Szymczak but had heard his story, and about 20 women brought him bags of clothes, groceries, hygiene products, and other items.

Szymczak seems thrilled with his new home, Willis said. “He told us this is the best hotel he’s ever stayed in.”

Willis added, “The most amazing thing, and probably my favorite part of the story, is that he’ll never remember that we gave him this house. We did all this for a man who won’t even remember.”

Related Stories:

• A Home For Zyggy: A Call To Help 87-Year-Old Losing His Trailer