A Lindenhurst caregiver’s commitment to her clients is so strong that she continued working even after losing her home in a fire several years ago.

Marie-Carmel Appolon, 61, is a senior caregiver for Right at Home of Nassau and Queens, an in-home care company that specializes in providing care for “seniors and disabled adults who need assistance maintaining their independence,” according to the company. She was recently selected out of thousands of employees as Right at Home’s 2025 Northeast Region Caregiver of the Year for her “exemplary commitment to making a difference in the lives of her clients,” the company said.

Appolon has been working with Right at Home for eight years. In 2022, her Queens home and all of her possessions were destroyed in an electrical fire, although her son, Ethan, then 14, and daughter Sophie, then 32, both escaped the blaze unharmed, she said.

“I was leaving my job to go home, and I got a call from my daughter that the house was on fire; it was really, really a shock,” Appolon said. Of continuing to work following the fire, she said: “My clients depend on me. Sometimes when they’re used to seeing your face, they expect you. When they see a new face, they are really, really mad.”

Appolon said she emigrated to the U.S. about 25 years ago from Haiti, where she worked as a medical technician for 15 years while also completing a law degree from the State University of Haiti. She said she lived in Queens up until the house fire, having spent the previous 15 years working as an in-home caregiver for various companies — including stints with Cottage Home Care Services in Hicksville and G.E.M. Health Care Agency in Freeport.

Today, Appolon works four days a week for Right at Home as a caregiver for a 93-year-old Port Washington woman with Parkinson’s disease. While there, she performs tasks including cooking and cleaning, playing games like cards or trivia and reminding the woman to take her medication, she said.

Zubin Kapadia, owner of Right at Home Nassau North Shore, said Appolon was selected for the award in recognition of her efforts going “above and beyond the call of duty every day.”

“She puts the needs of others ahead of herself,” Kapadia said. “Marie is a dedicated, compassionate and selfless caregiver. She has touched the lives of many families with her exceptional care and warm spirit.”

Appolon also volunteers once a month to socialize with senior citizens residing at the Village of Lindenhurst Rainbow Center.