Gone but never forgotten

When Susan came to work at Legends Care Center in Massillon, OH eight years ago, she had no idea that it would soon become not only her home, but also her family’s home.  In just a short time after working there, she quickly realized how she would be happy to house even her own family there. Susan, who is the current Activities Director, was fortunate enough to not only be able to have her grandmother stay at Legends, but also her sister-in-law Tami.

Susan’s sister-in-law had a very unique situation. One day, Tami’s speech started to slow and not long after, she was diagnosed with Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease on her 40th birthday. Everyone, including Tami, was in shock. She was so young, so full of life…it just couldn’t be. Sadly, after Tami’s diagnosis, she did not have much time before her symptoms took over and she began to deteriorate rapidly.

While still at home, Tami’s symptoms got so bad that she fell down her stairs, and ended up in ICU for five days. She had trauma to her brain, which only exacerbated her symptoms even more. After her cognitive abilities declined, her family had to make the decision to let her go, or continue to fight. Not ready to give up, her family chose to have Tami move into Legends.

This was a blessing for not only Tami’s immediate family, but for Susan especially. Susan knew that by having Tami at Legends, she could check on her daily, be a part of her care and treatment, and just be able to spend time with her that she would not be able to otherwise. Susan was able to keep an eye on Tami, as well as attend her care plan meetings. It was the best of both worlds for the situation. The family felt better knowing that Susan could be there with her, and that she had the support of Susan’s co-workers and even some of the other patients.

Susan and Tami were sisters-in-law, but they might as well have been sisters. They were tremendously close and shared so many wonderful experiences together. They had their children only six weeks apart, and because of that they spent a lot of time together. Tami was a very radiant and happy person. She constantly hosted parties and loved to have family cookouts. Susan couldn’t have asked for a better relationship with her sister-in-law. Because of this, it was very important to Susan to be there for Tami when her health declined.

Susan’s grandmother also lived at Legends for some time, and stayed there until she was 99 years old. Tami was fortunate enough to have the same private room that Susan’s grandmother had stayed in. It helped ease the transition of moving Tami to Legends knowing that she was going to be comfortable. But, just a year and a half after moving to Legends, Tami lost her battle with Alzheimer’s.

Although Tami is no longer here with us, her spirit truly lives on. Tami was very giving, and loved to help the handicapped children while she was in school. She was always willing to help those in need. Her family has carried her legacy on by putting together a golf fundraiser in Tami’s name. They hosted a cookout in her honor and held a raffle, which raised $2,000 towards Alzheimer’s Awareness.

Tami truly left a mark everywhere that she went and continues to leave her mark as she brings awareness to this disease and hope for a cure. Her family will continue the fight for her and they are often reminded of her when they see a dragonfly. Dragonflies were one of Tami’s favorite things. Susan said she had never seen a dragonfly before Tami passed away, and now she sees them regularly.

It’s important that we share this story to help the effort to raise awareness of this terrible disease. This can occur at any age, to anyone, and it’s important to be screened for it. It is genetic and Tami’s children must get checked regularly now, even though Tami was the first in her family to be diagnosed with Early-onset Alzheimer’s.

We are so thankful that our own Consulate Health Care family was able to take care of Susan’s family when they needed it most. We want to thank all of the amazing employees who helped Tami during her stay and who have been there for Susan. We are so sorry for Susan’s loss, and hope that she is comforted in knowing that her Consulate family is always here for her and will always remember Tami.