An Alabama woman had a simple Christmas wish – for her husband to stand and give her a hug for the first time in several years.

Thanks to a nursing home, that wish became reality.

Our story begins in June 2010 when Jan Murray’s husband, Bill, was diagnosed with ALS. Jan cared for Bill at their Dothan home as long as she could.

“It became too difficult for me to care for him,” Jan said. “I have injured my back lifting and moving him. He virtually had no life…stuck in the hospital bed at home or a wheelchair.”

After much thought and planning, Jan made the decision to move Bill to Enterprise Health & Rehab Center in September 2013.

“We weren’t really ready to make the move,” Jan recalls. “But it’s turned out to be the best thing we could have done.”

At 53 years old, Bill is considered a young nursing home resident. He uses a motorized wheelchair to propel himself all over Enterprise Health & Rehab Center. An iPad attached to the wheelchair allows him to speak to staff members and other residents.

“He has a great life here,” Jan said. “Since he’s been here, he’s had a chain of people that have learned to care for him. He might not can walk or talk, but he can make people laugh. He is well taken care of here.”

Christmas Wish

Bill last walked and stood on his 50th birthday. Over the past three years, Jan has only been able to hug Bill while he was sitting in a chair or lying in a bed.

On November 25, Jan told Bill’s therapists about her Christmas wish – for Bill to be able to stand and give her a hug.

Jan tells the story in her own words.

“All I wanted for Christmas was a vertical hug. The therapists that work with him said ‘we can make it happen for you.’ So, three of the therapy workers were able to lift him up and lean him against the wall. It was amazing. It was so incredible to look up into his eyes. For years, I’ve looked down into my husband’s eyes. It made us all cry. I can’t thank them enough. I can’t even express how much that meant.”

Educating Others about ALS

Caring for someone with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, presents unique challenges. Nursing staff at Enterprise Health & Rehab Center attended a special seminar so they could better meet and understand Bill’s needs.

“I can’t say enough about this nursing home,” Jan said. “They’ve worked really hard to learn and adjust and adapt to him. ALS is very tricky, and they’ve responded very well. Everyone has a can do attitude.”

According to Jan, patience is important when caring for a person with ALS.

“He (Bill) can’t talk so he has to spell out everything and you’ve got to have the patience to let him communicate with you. Communication is a big deal with ALS. There’s not a lot he can do for himself. Right now, we just want him to have a happy, fulfilling life and he has that here.”

About a year after Bill’s ALS diagnosis, Jan started a blog as a way to express what she and her family were going through. Those stories have now been combined into a book, How ALS Changed Everything: Learning to Keep on Keeping On.

“I needed a way to express what we were going through and educate people about ALS, Jan said. “We (the family) want more people to know about it, support research and find a cure.”

This Christmas wish and other ways the staff has displayed a “can do attitude” is why Jan recognized Enterprise Health & Rehab Center in her book.

“We’ve never regretted making the decision,” Jan says looking back. “It was hard to make the decision and adjust, but in the end it was the best thing we could have done.”

About Bill and Jan Murray

ALS5v2Bill and Jan Murray have been married for 30 years. The couple has a son and a daughter. Bill and two of his three brothers have either been diagnosed with ALS or have died from medical complications brought on of ALS.

 

 

About Enterprise Health & Rehab Center

Enterprise Health & Rehab Center is a 257-bed skilled nursing care center. It offers speech, physical and occupational therapy, long term care and a specialized treatment area for people with Alzheimer’s and/or dementia. Barbara Stinson is the Administrator and Mary Cooper is the Director of Nursing.