He was a kid again
Valerie Moirano, Community Relations Coordinator for the Cuyahoga Falls Library, sent me this little story about her dad when he was in a nursing home shortly before he passed away:
I’ve heard that people in the last stages of Alzheimer’s are pretty happy campers and they’re reliving their childhood. Did I ever tell you the great story about my dad after he had a stroke? He was at Edwin Shaw (the old one). I could tell he was worse and wondered why the staff there didn’t notice. He wanted to go for a “walk” in his wheelchair (left side paralyzed and he was a southpaw) around the floor. The last thing he said to me was “faster!” So for 45 minutes, I ran thru the halls pushing a 200 lb man in a wheelchair. He kept taking his right foot off the foot rest. I think that in his head he was a kid again and riding his scooter. Isn’t that the most wonderful “parting gift” he could give me? I bet he was wondering why some old lady was calling him Daddy!