Florida Catholic | Edwarda O’Bara :: Birthday cake and $3,000

Birthday cake and $3,000

St. Mark students raise funds for mother who has cared for comatose daughter for 37 years.

MARLENE QUARONI | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 04.20.07

Katherine Rodriguez, an eighth–grader at St. Mark School in Southwest Ranches, holds a birthday cake the students brought to Edwarda O’Bara, who has been in a diabetic coma for 37 years.

MARLENE QUARONI | FC
Katherine Rodriguez, an eighth–grader at St. Mark School in Southwest Ranches, holds a birthday cake the students brought to Edwarda O’Bara, who has been in a diabetic coma for 37 years.

MIAMI | Eighteen St. Mark School eighth-graders arrived at Kaye O’Bara’s home recently, carrying checks, cash and a birthday cake for her daughter, Edwarda, who turned 54 March 27 and has been comatose for 37 years.

“We raised well over $3,000,” said Norma Lloret-Rodriguez, mother of one of the students. “It’s enough money for the O’Baras to pay their property tax for this year.”

Kaye, 79, has been caring for her daughter day and night in her Carol City home since 1970, when Edwarda fell into a diabetic coma. Kaye sleeps in a twin bed next to Edwarda’s. She turns her daughter and feeds her through a tube every two hours.

Kaye said she is $200,000 in debt and suffers from serious ailments, but her faith keeps her going. At one point, the O’Baras had seven mortgages on their home. There is no government help for Edwarda. Kaye receives a Social Security check and Veteran’s Administration benefits earned through her husband, Joe, who died 30 years ago.

“Edwarda falls through the cracks in the system,” Kaye said. “So I rely on faith. If you don’t have faith, you don’t have anything.”

Kaye has had help from people around the world, including several well-known persons. Among them, President Bill Clinton, who came to visit O’Bara and brought an angel doll, and Wayne Dyer, who wrote a book about the O’Baras, “A Promise Is a Promise.” Dyer calls every morning and evening to check on the women.

Members of Club Spirit, a parent-sponsored middle school youth group composed mostly of students from St. Mark, came up with the idea of a fundraiser for the O’Baras.

“As a Lent offering, the St. Mark students, along with the Catholic community of Southwest Ranches, Pembroke Pines and Cooper City, decided to have a garage sale to help the family,” said Lloret-Rodriguez. “CVS Pharmacy at Flamingo Road and Sheridan Street donated its parking lot.

Carlos Guzman, president of The Flyer, and his wife, Susana, donated a full-page ad in the publication announcing the garage sale to help the O’Bara family.”

Before they arrived at the house, some of the kids said they were apprehensive, Lloret-Rodriguez said. But once Kaye, seated in a chair next to her daughter, greeted the kids and started telling them stories of her life, the kids felt at ease with the kindly grandmother.

Kaye shares her home with her grandson, Ricky O’Bara (son of her other daughter, Colleen) and his son, Joseph, 7, a student at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs School in Fort Lauderdale. Both of them were home when the St. Mark students arrived.

One student held the birthday cake, lit with five candles, as the others stood around Edwarda’s

bed. At one point, Kaye asked the kids to sing to Edwarda. They sang, “Jesus, give us your peace.”

Most said they experienced a sense of peace while in Edwarda and Kaye’s room.

“I know that God is with the O’Baras,” said Courtney Brant, 13, with tears in her eyes. “I was moved and shocked by all Mrs. O’Bara had gone through.”

“She gave us good advice,” said Carolina Diaz, 14. “She’s so strong and peaceful. Her problems have only made her stronger.”

Kaye said she appreciated the kids’ visit. Before they left, she kissed each one and told them all to come back sometime.

“They were very nice,” she said. “All kids are wonderful. They have good hearts.”

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