When mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, we as a family, my brother Leland, my sister Joni and myself (Linda), knew we wanted to care for mom as long as we could.  The property next to me went on the market and we decided to purchase it, so mom would be close.  I have my beauty salon in my home, so the location couldn't have been better.  My sister Joni moved in with mom to care for her.  I checked on her during the day, while my sister was at work.  As the disease took more of her, to keep her from wandering or leaving the yard we fenced in our yards and padlocked the gates, except for the one between our yards.  Mom would walk down between the houses (we have walk out basements) in the morning with her long flannel nightgown and her Red Campbell Soup ball cap on, she looked so cute (she was retired from the Campbell Soup Company).  Mom would come through the gate and into the salon, it was always fun having her visit - my clients would chit chat with her and her with them.  Everyone had a great time!

Mom was always so sweet, calm, patient and so loving, then Alzheimer's Disease took all of that away.  As the disease progressed her personality completely changed.  The Mom we knew was slowly leaving us.  She would pull on her clothes, yell, get angry, argue with us.  We were afraid of her hurting herself by leaning over from her wheel chair trying to pick something up off the floor when there was nothing there, only an illusion, which is also part of this debilitating disease.  That's when the Play Pillow idea came into focus, I then realized she needed something for her fingers to feel, her hands to hold and her arms to squeeze.  After I started making them for her she calmed as she had the pillow on her lap where it was visible, reachable, and touchable.  I've had many people ask, "how did you come up with the idea?"  My answer was and is, "Watching My Mom!" 

As time went on, the disease was taking a strong hold on mom, so we knew we could no longer keep her at home.  The doctor told us she needed round the clock care, so we had to make the hardest decision of our lives!!!  We had to place her in a Nursing Home. Joni and I were with her every evening until she went to bed.  Leland visited her as often as he could - he lives out of town, so it was more difficult for him to visit as often. 

Mom's hemoglobin was continuing to going down so she was needing blood transfusions on a regular basis.  It was so heart wrenching seeing her with the needle in her arm and not being able to move from that location for 4 - 8 hours, depending on how many units of blood she needed, and she didn't understand why.  Another very, very difficult decision had to be made.  We as a family, once again, had to make the most difficult decision.  We decided we needed to think of mom instead of ourselves and told the nursing staff, no more transfusions.  It was a river of tears. 

We know mom is with the Lord and dancing the polka with dad!