Friday, November 8, 2013. As she lay there struggling to breathe, I watched my Mom, Jane, take her last breath. When it happened, I don’t know what I was feeling.
Sadness that my Mom was gone, that I would never hear her voice again. That I would never see her smile or listen to her laugh. That I would never be able to give her a kiss good bye on her cheek again. Or that I would never be able to just sit and hold her hand again.
Or, was I feeling relief, knowing that my Mom was now at peace. That she no longer faced each day speaking only gibberish, of not knowing she was Jane Bradley, mother of four children, grandmother of 7 and great-grandmother of 3. That she wouldn’t have to wear diapers anymore. That it didn’t matter anymore that she used to be a vibrant, creative woman who raised my siblings and me. That she used to read books, sew, do crafts, play golf, babysit, drive and take care of my Dad when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. That it didn’t matter anymore that for 14 long years, that Mom also battled the devastating disease call Alzheimer’s. The only thing that mattered when she took that last breath, was that she was at peace, she was happy again and she would be with Dad, her siblings and her parents.
For 28 years, my siblings and I watched our parents be stolen from us by this disease. Dad was an engineer at Harrison’s for almost 30 years. By the end, he could only speak “what’s on the agenda”, didn’t recognize any of us and wore diapers. I can’t tell you how many times I left the nursing home and cried all the way home, knowing my Mom and Dad were still physically there, but mentally and emotionally gone forever.
That is why I “Walk to End Alzheimer’s”. I pray every night that a cure for this horrible disease be found, but until it is, I will help raise money and awareness. Please join my family and me on the Case-Nic Cookies Team on September 6th at the Medina Canal Basin for the walk. If you, can’t join us, please consider making a donation to our Team page by going to www.alz.org/wny. We appreciate any amount you can donate.
For those of you who knew my Mom and Dad, you know they would have been mortified if they knew what had happened to them. I pray for cure, so my children don’t have to change my diapers.
Remember those, who forget to remember…….
Thank you,
Mary Lou
From September 3rd – September 5th, Case-Nic Cookies will be donating $1.00 from every dozen of cookies sold.
Also, Nicole Tuohey, the “Nic” in Case-Nic, is selling elephant links with money going directly to Alzheimer’s. Links are available at Case-Nic Cookies.
Also, The Arc of Orleans Day Hab Program made “purple” bracelets and they are being sold at Case-Nic Cookies with all money going directly to Alzheimer’s.
Stop in and help please!!!!