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Pat Brogan clutches the leopard-print steering wheel of her Ford Taurus, which she has had since 2003. It’s a Friday morning, and she is ready to drive.
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Pat Brogan drives Sara Comero to her doctor’s appointment Wednesday in La Crosse, Wis., from Comero’s home in Cochrane, Wis. Brogan is a volunteer driver for the Buffalo County Aging Unit’s Elderly and Disabled Transportation Program. "You end up being more than just a ride," Brogan said. (Photo by James A. Bowey/Winona Daily News) |
The car looks lived in. It’s adorned with stickers, toys, a calendar, pens, a calculator and a black appointment book.
This morning, Brogan is taking the Taurus to Alma, Wis., to take a friend and client to the doctor.
Brogan is a volunteer driver for Buffalo County (Wis.) Aging Unit’s Elderly and Disabled Transportation program. Brogan, 58, is a 15-year veteran of the unit’s program. She originally started working in home care; clients frequently asked whether she could take them to the doctor.
Fifteen years later, her cell phone rings frequently with clients and callers wondering where she is and when she can take them to their destination. As long as the callers are from Buffalo County, she’ll take them where they need to go. She takes anyone who needs a ride — from newborn babies to 100-year-olds — and takes them from Minneapolis to Milwaukee.
“You end up being more than just a ride,” she said.
Even though she is battling gastric cancer, Brogan is a willing and dedicated driver for Buffalo County — for these people who are her clients and friends.
In Brogan’s time as a driver in the program, she has used three cars and logs 40,000 to 50,000 miles per year, she said. During the drives, she gets to hear her passengers’ stories. She explains that they are happy to have someone listen, and she’s glad to be that person.
“You gotta care for people,” she says. “If you don’t, they’re not going to want you back.”
The little things
Tabitha Herzberg of Fountain City, Wis., is a friend and client. About a year ago, she needed to the hospital, and no one was around to help. But Brogan came to her aid.
“I called her my angel on my shoulder,” she said.
And Brogan — who won an award in early January for her service — was there not just as a driver but as a friend.
“Pat was there within 15 minutes. She just held my head and said it was going to be OK.”
Brogan enjoys everything about her job. She likes the cross-state trips, even in inclement weather. She likes the Christmas gifts from clients. She likes the friendships she makes with people like Herzberg and the secrets they share with her.
“It’s the little things,” she says.
Dedication
The doctors who recently diagnosed Brogan with gastric cancer told her that she has six to nine months to live.
But she is dedicated. She often schedules doctor appointments to conincide with her clients’ doctor appointments so their schedules match and they can ride together.
“I look forward to getting up in the morning to go,” she says of her job.
Though chemotherapy is hard on her body, Brogan says she wants to work as much as possible.
“As long as I’m not sick, why should I stay at home?” she says.
Lola Longyhore, Brogan’s manager, said that although Brogan is not the only driver in the community, there’s something special about her. And with that, she’s done a lot for the community, Longyhore said.
“She’s actually a godsend, and I don’t know what I’m going to do without her if we lose her,” she said.
Reach Britt Johnsen
at bjohnsen@winona
daily news.com or
(507) 453-3519.
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