Anatalie Dean, a 47-year-old business owner who runs Nurturing Nest Senior Care Services, was driving through the Florida heat last year when she saw an elderly man walking by himself. Per PEOPLE, she was worried about his safety, and as it turns out, her intuition was spot on.
When Dean first pulled over to check on 90-year-old Bob McVey, her primary concern was his immediate well-being. “I didn’t see him as my potential client. I saw him as, ‘Oh my God, this man is gonna fall'”, Dean told PEOPLE.
Even after she offered help, McVey was hesitant, telling her, “I don’t have any money.” Dean insisted that money wasn’t the issue, and the two exchanged phone numbers.
Dean later went to his home in May to help clean his bathroom. It was during this visit that she realized the true extent of his struggles. He was living entirely on his own without basic kitchen essentials, including a working stove. His condo was also missing the necessary modifications that would allow him to navigate his own home safely.
Dean provided details of the situation on a GoFundMe page she set up
On GoFundMe, Dean noted that, “Bob has been a victim of elder abuse, and his current living conditions are unsafe.” She also stated that he suffers from five fractured vertebrae and is at a high risk for falls before introducing him. “I am reaching out on behalf of a remarkable gentleman I recently met under heartbreaking circumstances: Robert McVey, a 1960 Olympic gold medalist in hockey and a graduate of Harvard University, where he played left wing during his collegiate years.”
Per PEOPLE, Dean began returning regularly to help him with laundry and his mail. Since he survived on gas station sandwiches, he took him out for proper meals. She also reached out to his stepdaughter over Facebook, who told her that McVey had been scammed out of money by a woman years ago and said he’d had to sell his gold medal and hockey jersey just to keep his home.
Despite his past experiences making him wary of trusting strangers, he felt an immediate connection with Dean. “I just felt it,” McVey told PEOPLE. Dean and one of her employees now help him weekly. “He doesn’t give me a dime, but I make sure that he gets that same service that my other clients get that do pay,” she says.
After WSVN aired his situation, the community really stepped up. Donations flooded in, and a local contractor named Jeff Cohen volunteered to renovate the home for free. BrandsMart also donated new appliances. McVey is now living in a space that has been freshly painted with new blinds, furniture, and wood flooring to replace the dangerous old rug.
“This place is all beautiful, clean, painted, nice and everything,” McVey says. “It’s gorgeous.” He added “I just thought it was unbelievable that they would take the time to help an old man. At 90 years old, it was just nice of them.” He is now able to sit comfortably and look out at the ocean, noting that he feels “fantastic” and “so blessed.”
Dean and McVey have become close friends, and they even celebrated his 90th birthday on March 14 with a new outfit and dinner. McVey is deeply appreciative of the bond they have formed, saying, “My friend Anatalie has been so nice to me, and I’m so grateful for all of the things that she has done for me,” adding that “it’s just a nice experience to have somebody that will help you move on in life.”
Dean plans to use any leftover funds from the donations to ensure he receives care seven days a week. More than that, her intervention shows just how impactful some meetings can be. One woman got a text from an unknown number, and it led her to a beautiful friendship with an older photographer. Additionally, last year, when a man’s car broke down by the side of the road, he found himself rescued by a pop star.
Published: Jun 3, 2026 09:53 am