Keep Mom Home!

Hi there and welcome!

If you're here because of the newspaper article, Facebook or other social media, we're happy you're here!

I don't know how much you all know so far but I'll try and keep this as short as possible. My wonderful, fantastic, life loving mother was diagnosed with an aggressive form of ALS in late July 2014. 

Her timeline is as follows:

May 2014 - symptoms appear: can't speak, difficulty eating

June 2014 - right leg no longer "working", falls twice

July 2014 - uses a walker, writes to communicate, ALS diagnosis

August 2014 - has lost 40lbs, diet is liquid only. Visiting nurse fears that liquid will get into her lungs.

September 2014 - admitted to hospital for a PEG tube procedure. This allows her to "eat".

October 14th, 2014 - the day she was scheduled to leave the hospital ... turned into the day that she almost died. A (previously unknown) double pneumonia caused her to go into respiratory arrest. An emergency tracheostomy was performed and a ventilator was attached.

October 14th - November 12th - the amount of time my sister Brianna and my mom spent in the ICU

November 12th - December 18th - my mom was transferred out of the ICU and into a new hospital. Here, we learned every detail there was to caring for my mom. Our goal was to bring her home.

**Now I know this isn't the norm. Vented patients, as they are called, don't go home. However, mom was sick for such a short amount of time. We, as a family, hadn't even had time to process or grieve any of the losses that mom had experienced. We couldn't fathom leaving her in the hospital after a mere 5 months after her diagnosis.

December 18th - We brought mom home!!!!

It has been the most challenging but rewarding thing we have ever done. The struggles didn't stop when we left the hospital though. Mom has slowly lost her ability to move her eyes. We've dealt with bed sores, pain, hot flashes, you name it BUT she is so much better off at home. We've tackled all challenges as family but now we need help.

This is why we are reaching out to you. Brianna has been caring for my mom for the past year. She has allowed my father and I to continue to work (we weren't able to take time off of work). She had just graduated from university last April and moved to Toronto. She was working, had an apartment and a boyfriend. When my mom got sick, she put everything on hold to care for her. She spent every day with her in the ICU and she has spent every day with her since. She's invested all of her time, energy and love for our wonderful mother but she has to get back to her own life. We can't continue to ask a 25 year old to put her life on hold. 

My mom is 53 years young. She has an incredibly strong spirit, the kindest and most generous heart and she is the biggest lover of life that you'll ever meet. She was a self-taught chef, self-taught gardener and gave the best hugs. She was known for giving cookies to the men who picked up our garbage and recycling. She made dog treats for the neighbours' dogs and would share her flowers with anybody who appreciated them!! She truly was a fantastic person and anyone can attest to that. She is now tragically trapped in her body and we know that her mental health is resting on her ability to stay home. Her disease took so much from her so fast but she wants to keep going and we need your help. 

We thank you from the bottom of your hearts for taking the time to read this and for your generosity. 

 The Pattyns