KIRKSVILLE - A projector, a stable internet connection, and a screen.
That was all the staff at Chariton Valley, an assisted living facility for disabled individuals, needed when one of their residents was transferred to Boone Hospital Center last October. Visitors were not allowed at that time.
The resident, referred to as "MJ" for anonymity, had been with the organization for 15 years. Even those that didn't directly work with him felt his positive impact.
"He was always smiling," Program Director Linda Bowers said. "He was somebody that you just enjoyed, he kind of brightened your day."
It was a system that was in place by Richard Sullivan, Boone Hospital's lead chaplain, before the pandemic began.