Like so many who are diagnosed with ALS, Donna’s journey to find out why her legs weren’t working quite like they were supposed to, was not very straightforward. The litany of doctors couldn’t explain her symptoms and what clouded their assessment was that Donna was in a major car accident in January 2021. Eventually she was seen by a neurologist who examined her with fresh eyes. By the time she finally received the diagnosis in April 2022, she had already been living with ALS for a couple of years. It wasn’t the news she wanted to hear, but sometimes you just have to play the cards you’re dealt.
Donna knew that living alone was not going to be in those cards. Her family is hugely supportive, with her daughters Shelly in Texas and Kerri-Rae 30 minutes east of Calgary, but she wasn’t about to burden them. So, when the opportunity for her to move into a new care community in Airdrie came up, she jumped at it. True, it was a move of necessity, but Donna also saw it as an opportunity. She had a new mission. Airdrie Care Community (ACC) was not going be a place where she would be a prisoner counting the days. She would make the most out whatever time she has, wherever she is.
You’d be mistaken if you thought Donna wasn’t tempted to look at her situation and become bitter. She loved her life! Giving up her independence and home was not easy. But she came to see that would be far easier to move forward, embrace these changes and embrace living, than it would be to move backwards and be miserable. With strength from her faith in God, Donna decided to move forward and choose joy.
Despite her resolve, it was still a shock when she moved in. No matter how you sliced it, the reality of her future appeared dim. Depression threatened to overwhelm her joy. This was not going be a simple matter of “don’t worry, be happy.” But then something happened. As she ventured out of her room, wheeling herself around ACC in her cute pink wheelchair provided by the ALS Society, she got to know her new neighbours. As she listened to their stories, compassion for them grew in her heart. Her story wasn’t the only tragedy, or even the worst tragedy. And as that compassion grew, she felt her gratitude return. And with it came joy.
Donna has now lost the ability to wheel around her new home in her snazzy pink wheelchair, so she upgraded to a power chair from the ALS Society. She says that it’s partly because of the support from the ALS Society that she wasn’t afraid to move forward. She knows that as she changes, the Society would be right there to help with the right equipment she needs. She says that when you are first diagnosed you don’t realize the support that’s there for you, but once you experience it, the possibilities open up.
With her power wheelchair comes more freedom and independence. Now you can often find Donna motoring around ACC, greeting staff and residents alike with a smile. She genuinely cares for this community, stopping to ask how their day is going. She listens to their story, then often shares a laugh with them to brighten their day. It just takes a moment, but it’s her mission to share a little of the joy she feels.