Caregiving Story

My mom is the most selfless, compassionate and hardworking person I know. She is also a caregiver. This summer she introduced me to Audrey, a women with Parkinson's Disease, who she normally cares for. The short time I spent with Audrey changed my outlook on life. It also made me realize that this is what I wanted to do - help people do things on their own. For a couple of weeks I was Audrey's companion. Each day I would do household tasks for her as well as help her with tasks such as packing. Audrey spends each summer at the lake in the town where my mom lives. She loves watching wildlife and sometimes we would feed the deer in her front yard or she would tell me about the duck swimming around the shore. She had many of her own paintings of wildlife in her home, from when she was able to paint. Without help and care she would not be able to spend the summer in the place that she loves.