Monday, August 26, 2013

Grandpa LaMar

Yellowstone when I was 3 years old.
It's weird how reading certain things will bring back a long buried memory. Today I was reading on a blog about a little girl who collected rocks and suddenly as clear as could be I could picture my Grandpa LaMar's hand rubbing his worry rock. He had small smooth rock that he would rub. He told me it was his worry rock. I can't remember why but I assume that he rubbed it when he was worrying about something.

That memory led to a flood of others as I remember him rocking me in the rocking chair in our front room. I remember going to visit him at the liquor store where he was the manager and going up to his office. It was on a raised area in the middle of the store so he could keep an eye on what was going on down in the store below; then riding with him to drop off the deposit in the night drop at the bank.

I can clearly see him in my mind sitting in the recliner at his and Grandma's house. It was the last place I saw him before he died. A little while before he passed away Mom had to come get me from school because I was sick. Grandpa had come over to watch the kids so she could come and get me. I remember him pulling me onto his lap and rocking me in the rocking chair. He told me the best place to be when you are sick is at home.

He had a dry sense of humor. A few days before he died we were watching TV. A commercial come on and it announced, “The news has come out! There is a new bra!” Never taking his eyes from the TV and sounding completely serious Grandpa said, “That’s the greatest news I’ve heard in 60 years.” We laughed so hard.

I was only 10 when he died. It was way too soon to lose him. I don't think I realized it until today, but my Mom was only 31 when she lost him. I am 37 and I can't even imagine how hard it would be to lose one of my parents.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Team Maughan Walks for Hope

Team Maughan is participating in the Huntington's Disease Team Hope Walk on Saturday, September 21st. 

Fighting for a cure for Huntington's Disease is very dear and near to my heart. My Mom's cousin, Kathy, is fighting this devastating disease right now. She was diagnosed with having the Huntington's gene several years ago. At that time, it was a new disease that we had never heard of. Our whole family was devastated. 

My Mom and Kathy are double cousins and since if a parent has the disease then your child has a 50/50 percent chance of having it, we knew it could be in our family too. Kathy's mom and dad and my Mom's mom and dad have all passed away so we had no way of having any testing to know which side it came from. Susan remembered going with her Grandma Maughan up to visit her mom and remembered her just sitting in the dark with jerking movements, which we now assume was part of this disease, and so we decided it probably came through the Maughan side. We later learned that my Mom's cousin, Ronald Maughan, had the disease also. He just recently passed away because of it. So it was confirmed that it came from the Maughan side. 

Mom and my aunt have both been tested and their results came back negative. We don't think Grandma Ila showed the symptoms of the disease. Kathy's daughter, Jenny, took her into her home and provided her a safe and loving place to live for several years until just a few months ago when Kathy started falling and it was decided that she needed to have constant care. She is now living in the BeeHive Home in Logan where she has a beautiful room and they take great care of her.

Kathy is now having the jerking movements, choking, and trouble walking. It was explained to me once that Huntington's is a combination of Alheimer's, Parkinson's Disease and MS. All I know is it is a horrible disease that is eating away at Mom's cousin. She is constantly losing weight because of the choking and not being able to eat and I think she is also afraid to eat because of choking. Every time I see her, she has lost more weight and her clothes are hanging on her, even though Jenny tries to keep her in stylish clothes. 

If you are able, please donate to this important cause, any amount you can give would be appreciated. We need to make people aware of Huntington's disease and find the means to study and find some answers and in the end find a cure. We would also love to have you join our team if you can. Thank you for your help! 


Please don't hesitate to spread the word and contact me for a flyer you can pass around.

IF YOU OWN OR KNOW OF A BUSINESS OR ORGANIZATION WHO WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A SPONSOR PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT AND I'LL GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU. 

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me.