“I feel it needs to be told”: Member Cathy shares a memory

Last year, we spoke with Cathy (Catrin) about her experience transitioning into a caregiver role for her husband, Fred, who was living with bulbar onset ALS. Shortly after that, Fred passed away, and to mark the year of his passing, Cathy recently shared the following memory.

Here’s what she had to say…

“I have been saving this story for a while. Don’t know why but I feel it needs to be told. It is just a little story. No twists. No turns. No big reveals. But still. A story to be told.

Around this time last year, I ran the very quickest of errands. Fred was at a time of his illness we seldom left him alone. The kids and I we were a team in hanging with him. But we have lovely neighbors close and a prescription was needed, so just for the littlest of time, he was hanging alone. But that isn’t the story.

It was when I returned that the story began. As I’ve noted many times before, Fred went to too many concerts in the sixties. He always said that. Yet, on returning from my errand, I walked in to find Woodstock live in my home. It was 1969 again.

Jimi Hendrix was playing. So was Janis Joplin. Jefferson Airplane. Canned Heat. Still not sure why John Sebastian was there. Guess we will never know.

Those who knew Fred knew he never danced. Cotillion had ruined him. But there he was, dancing as best he could dance. Stomping his foot to Hendrix, occasionally playing air guitar. I dropped the prescription and immediately joined in.

For just a little time, the joy was back. 

Thank you Santana.

I still have Woodstock on the DVR. Haven’t played it since. But I tell this story because it is a testament to ALS. It is a story of hope, of perseverance, of determination. I was always so very proud of Fred, he was my very best friend. Yet it was in that moment I saw his deep abiding strength. I saw in that moment that though ALS had robbed him of his body, it would never steal his spirit or take away his soul. In the year that he has been gone, I write these little stories to keep his memory, my memories strong. I continue to walk the ALS walks. I continue to be loud.

ALS is a beast. We WILL defeat.”

#kickoutthejams #hopeisstrong

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