Jordan

Jordan

Nash is a four-year-old diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis, a rare spinal cord condition that leaves him paralyzed from the neck down. He is dependent on a trach tube to breathe and a G-button to feed. Jordan is not only his mother but his full-time caregiver. All...
Heather

Heather

Heather’s son Matthew is 13 years old and living with severe autism and epilepsy, which is currently in remission. Heather has been providing care for Matthew since he was a baby. In addition to the routine care a mother provides, making sure Matthew is fed and...
Dianne | Green Bay, Wisconsin

Dianne | Green Bay, WI

This letter is reprinted with permission from the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources, Inc. (GWAAR).  If you had asked me two years ago if I ever thought I would need a grant, I would have laughed. My husband Chuck and I retired early with great medical...

Tom Wallace

Dear Gail – You are a rare human! Few people have courage, conviction, wisdom, strength, and endurance like you. The conversations about caregiving from all stakeholders are more informed and constructive because of you. And, because of your creation and leadership of the NAC, conversations will always be able to rise above political and individual interests, in the US and globally. A fitting quote may come from Robert Kennedy, “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” I would argue you have changed an arch of history and certainly you’ve written the chapter about caregiving. Congratulations for what you have accomplished and for stepping up to counsel the next great generation of NAC’s leadership. Best wishes to you.

Jesus

Jesus

Jesus is a care partner for his younger sister, who, after visits to several doctors was diagnosed with kidney disease. She was told that she would need a kidney transplant. Jesus’ mom is older and was already dealing with some health complications of her own. That...
Georgette

Georgette

A few years ago, Georgette’s sister started experiencing medical complications. While Georgette lived in New York City, her sister and her family lived in Atlanta, where her husband worked. It was decided that the medical complications were serious enough that...

Karen

Karen has the mindset that you do what you can to help family, so she began to do the shopping and other small tasks for her mother in 2010. In addition, Karen has a background in finance, so she helped her mother, aunt, and uncle with their finances. By 2016, Mimi...
Claire

Claire

Claire’s husband was diagnosed with idiopathic cardiomyopathy several years ago, leading to the eventual need for a heart transplant, which he has now received. Claire did not become his care partner immediately upon diagnosis because he was still very fit and active,...
Autumn

Autumn

 Autumn was 32 when her mother was diagnosed with a progressive neurodegenerative disease. As the only child of a single mother, Autumn knew she would be her mother’s caregiver one day, but neither she nor her mother expected that day to be when her mother was only...
Jennifer H.

Jennifer H.

 In 2011, Jennifer H. first noticed that her mother was having trouble with her short-term memory. Jennifer didn’t believe it was serious at first, but, over time, her mother’s condition escalated to include paranoia, getting lost or confused easily, suffering from...
Laura

Laura

Laura spent two years caring for her husband, who was diagnosed with stage IV neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer. They proceeded with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery to close off blood vessels in his liver that were feeding the cancer. Her husband then underwent an...