It is with unease and more than a little hesitation that I make this request. Throughout my life, I have formed a strong belief that when we find ourselves in a pickle, we look at the problem we are faced with, look at the options that we have at hand, tackle the problem with a hopeful heart, and trust that God is by our side, filling in the areas where we are lacking. Most of the time, this works out quite well. GoFundMe is an option that I have never explored before, but more than a few friends have suggested that I do. So here we go…

My wife, Wiveka, and I met in New York in 1980 and got married in 1981. We have had an extraordinary life filled with two amazing children and four grandsons (the joy of each and every day). We have been blessed with so many wonderful people becoming friends and a part of our life stories. It is a good life we have.

We chose to spend most of our lives as volunteers in the USA and 9 years in Africa. Our faith taught us that living for the sake of others was the path to true long-lasting joy and fulfillment. It was so true. The riches we have can't be spent at a store or saved in a bank, but the relationships built and the memories stored are worth more than a pile of gold. I think I just want to say that we are very happy with our lives and grateful, so grateful that we are surrounded by family and friends that love and care for us.

At this time, I think we are facing a bigger challenge than any in the past, which leads to this request for support.

Around 8 years ago, the love of my life, Wiveka, and I discovered a new addition to our lives – Alzheimer's. This was not really a great surprise as her mother and my grandfather lived with Alzheimer's for many years. We, however, did not really build it into our story or life plans. I guess no one ever does. Over the years, the wife, mother, grandmother, and friend we all loved started to slowly fade away. She hates that she could no longer remember how to read, write a note, or carry on a deep conversation. She is so frustrated that she often cannot think of the word she wants to say or remember a loved one's name. It's hard for her as she still has days where she can remember being different. She is such an amazing person, a strong person.

In the last year, my health has started to decline. Taking care of Wiveka is a joy but also a burden. Not sleeping well at night due to her waking spells, taking care of dressing, cooking, cleaning, bathing, and doing what was needed to keep her safe and happy just wore me down. Even with the help and support from friends and family, it has become too much. I don't know how to describe it, but I started to hate her even as my love for her grew stronger.

I need to have heart surgery this summer; it's simple but creates a lot of personal stress. This, along with other health issues, made me realize that very soon I would not be able to continue providing Wiveka with the help and support she needed. This was also the moment my heart started breaking. How can I think about putting Wiveka in a different place for others to care for? How can Wiveka emotionally manage being separated from those she loves and spent all her life with? Really a difficult place for both of us to be in. I had to decide to make the move happen with the hope and prayer that my health will get better and the quality of care and time I have with Wiveka can balance out the difficulties this decision has made.

Last week, we moved Wiveka into a memory care facility called Kensington Place, about 10 minutes from the house we live in. It is a nice place with 11 other people and two full-time staff 24 hours a day. It's not home, but we made the unit cozy and warm. There is an activities director who creates activities and events for those who can do them, and we visit a lot. Wiveka seems to be as happy as she was at home.

This creates, however, a financially stressful time until we can work out all the changes. I think the insurance will cover all but around $940 each month once everything is in place and approved. I will need to start working again in the future as our combined Social Security is $1,200 a month. Our children have been helping us for years, but they also have expenses and families to care for, and I don't want to create a bigger burden on them than necessary.

My hope is that through this GoFundMe, it will give me a few months to focus on my health, cover some of the memory care costs, and maybe a little for some trips to visit friends and family with Wiveka while she is still able. If you are able to pitch in a little to help with this, I would be eternally grateful. Please do not send money if it is difficult to do so. We do believe that this will all work out, and your prayers and good energy sent make the journey we are on smoother as well.

Forever Grateful

Michael and Wiveka Lamson