Justine’s Caring Words

I wanted to write a book and finish it. I did that. I wanted to show how an illness affects the whole family. I finished my part. Justine Madonna wrote the foreword. (Justine is Andrew’s wife, Teddy’s mom, my daughter-in-law.). “In-law” isn’t the best word to describe a person that has given me the love and support that Justine has given me. After all, Justine and I are the founders of the “We love Teddy” fan club and she knows my favorite flower is the iris. Here is a portion of the foreword that Justine wrote that is a beautiful reminder that I am not alone and never have been.

“I left a few hours later and drove straight to Deb’s hospital room and it was just the two of us. She doesn’t remember this visit but I think I always will. She was calm, steady, and talking. Her experience in hospitals and helping others, I think, lends to her being very matter-of-fact about these things. I can still visualize her sitting in the bed, her legs out in front of her, wearing one of those terribly scratchy hospital gowns. I think what upsets me about her wearing the gown is that I know Deb shops with her hands, meaning, she touches every material before buying it and only dresses in things that feel good against her skin. This gown symbolized to me that none of this—Deb in this place and in this condition—made sense, as if there was some logic of right and wrong; she didn’t deserve this. …
Deb worked to achieve progress every day and her drive even increased drive when she learned she would be a grandma for the express purpose of giving her grandson the bonding experience with her as she had with her own grandparents. …
Effectively applying the finite energy, we all have toward progress and recovery has resulted in her achieving her stretch goals. She rides her trike with her grandson; they play outside, on the floor, and go to the water park; they banter with each other, read, and do art projects. He has his Grammy at his side.” a stroke