Meet Jesse

Meet Jesse

A Spring In His Step

From go-go to disco and salsa to swing, Jesse feels the beat - from the tips of his toes to the center of his soul.
 
He found his rhythm as a teenager, entering competitions with his sister in the 1950s on Denver's local version of American Bandstand.
 
Following Jesse's lead, the duo gracefully maneuvered the dance floor like a young version of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, wowing audiences and judges with their flawless footsteps.  Their skills won them awards and prizes whenever they competed.
 
As pop music evolved, Jesse embraced each era with his own personal imprint. A soulful instinct and nimble feet helped him find just the right language to translate music into movement.
 
"I was a dancer. If you know how to move, you can dance," he explains, adding, a bit shyly, "I don't mean to toot my horn, but I had the gift and I used it." 
 
Whether from coincidence or by design, Jesse's professional career focused on taking care of other people's feet. For 37 years, he repaired shoes and ran shoe shine stands
in downtown Denver.
 
A stroke, failing kidneys and poor eyesight forced him to sell the business he loved. "I miss the people who used to come in to visit. We'd go in the back of the shop, I'd put some music on and we'd have a lot of fun."
 
Jesse still dances, just at a bit slower pace. Occasionally he'll share his talent with others at the Total Longterm Care center in Thornton, Colorado, where he spends three days a week, socializing with friends and receiving personalized medical care.
 
"I love it here," he says. "I love the employees because they treat me so good."
 
The center houses one of TLC's five programs, which  helps people like Jesse manage their chronic illnesses so they can live at home.
 
Julie, Jesse's wife of 38 years, introduced him to the program and urged him to join. "She told me I was wasting time, sitting around all day, so that's why I come. And I'm happy here. I'm really happy."
 
Thanks to the program's transportation services, Jesse doesn't have to worry about how to get to the center or to his dialysis treatments. And Julie knows he's in good hands while she's at work.
 
Like other PACE programs, the Thornton Center provides complete and coordinated healthcare for all its participants. Jesse's medical needs are taken care of in one place by a team of experts who keep a watchful eye on him.
 
Because he is the center of their care, the staff is able to recognize and quickly respond to his health needs and improve his quality of life.
 
One of the greatest gifts he's been given by the program is the ability to see again.
 
"I couldn't see anything for a few months. We'd moved to a new house and I couldn't see what was in it. Then they got me these glasses and it was like, 'Wow!'" he recalls with delight. "I looked around and I saw things I hadn't seen before. I'm grateful for what they were able to do."
 
Now when Jesse comes home, he picks out his favorite music and feels the beat - tapping his toes to the rhythm of his soul.